LONDON: An inspired Amanda Anisimova tore up the script and soared into her maiden Wimbledon final by outclassing world number one Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 with a display of fierce determination and fearless shot-making on Thursday.

Five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek will also play in her first Wimbledon final as she crushed former Olympic champion Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-0 in the other last-four clash.

Anisimova’s victory extended her win-loss record over her equally big-hitting rival to 6-3 and kept alive American hopes of a third women’s Grand Slam champion this year after Madison Keys won the Australian Open and Coco Gauff the French Open.

“This doesn’t feel real right now, honestly,” a beaming Anisimova said in her on-court interview. “Aryna is such a tough competitor and I was absolutely dying out there. Yeah, I don’t know how I pulled it off. She’s an inspiration to me and I’m sure so many other people.

“We’ve had so many tough battles. To come out on top today and be in the final of Wimbledon is so incredibly special.”

At an oven-like Centre Court where the temperature climbed to 30 degrees Celsius, Sabalenka twice rushed to the aid of ill fans by supplying bottles of cold water and an ice pack, before she cracked under pressure from her opponent in the 10th game.

The 23-year-old Anisimova, playing in her first major semi-final since her 2019 French Open run as a gifted teenager, made her opponent sweat for every point and wrapped up the opening set when Sabalenka produced a double fault.

With her back against the wall, Sabalenka roared back like a tiger, the animal that has become her totem, and broke for a 4-3 lead en route to levelling up the match at one set apiece after some sloppy errors from 13th seed Anisimova’s racket.

Having matched each other’s decibel levels in a cacophony of grunting, the duo swapped breaks at the start of the decider but Anisimova pounced again when Sabalenka sent a shot long and went on to book a final.

In the Thursday’s later match, Swiatek, seeded eighth at the All England Club, dominated her Swiss opponent from the start, wrapping up victory in 71 minutes on Centre Court.

“Honestly, I never even dreamed that it’s going to be possible for me to play in the final. So I’m just super-excited and proud of myself and I don’t know, tennis keeps surprising me,” said Swiatek.

“I thought I had lived through everything, even though I’m young, I thought I experienced everything on the court but I didn’t experience playing well on grass, so that’s the first time and I’m super, super excited and just enjoying it.”

On a baking Centre Court, the 24-year-old caught Bencic cold, racing into a 3-0 lead.

Bencic, ranked 35th in the world, found her footing, holding serve twice but Polish star Swiatek broke to love in the eighth game to take the match by the scruff of the neck.

Bencic was immediately under pressure in the second set as Swiatek broke for a 2-0 lead.

The rampant Swiatek did not allow Bencic a single game in a remarkably one-sided second set.

Despite her impressive form, Swiatek has largely gone under the radar at this year’s Wimbledon, dropping just one set so far while the top seven women’s seeds were all eliminated.

DJOKOVIC REACHES 14TH WIMBLEDON SEMI-FINAL

In Wednesday’s late match, Novak Djokovic was given an early scare but continued his bid for a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon trophy and standalone 25th Grand Slam title by beating Italian Flavio Cobolli 6-7(6/8), 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 to reach the semi-finals.

The 38-year-old’s fightback helped him reach a record 14th singles semi-final at the All England Club, where he will face top seed Jannik Sinner, with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz or Taylor Fritz awaiting in the title clash.

“A lot of numbers, a lot of numbers in the head,” Serbian Djokovic said.

“Wimbledon was, is, and always will be the most special tournament that we have in our sport, at least in my opinion and I think in many players’ opinion. It means the world to me that I’m still able at 38 to play in the final stages of Wimbledon.

“Another thing that makes me feel very young is competing with youngsters, Cobolli today … I enjoy sliding and running around the court with him and all the other guys.

“I’m going to have Sinner next so I look forward to that. It’s going to be a great match.”

Cobolli, the 22nd seed, showed tremendous mental fortitude to recover a break after going 3-5 down in the first set, which he edged in a tiebreak by letting rip blistering winners from his orange-framed racket to draw loud cheers on Centre Court.Former Roma youth soccer player Cobolli, who switched to tennis after watching Djok­ovic, was given a masterclass in the next set, however, and his idol broke for a 6-5 lead thanks to a slew of errors before tightening his grip on the contest.

With his thinking cap on in fading sunlight, Djokovic earned break points early in the fourth set with vintage tennis but was hitting his shoe with his racket after wasting them, before he fell to the ground with the finish line in sight.

Djokovic dusted himself off and served out the victory to go past Roger Federer’s semi-finals record at the All England Club and reach a record-extending 52nd Grand Slam semi-final.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2025