America’s Amanda Anisimova takes on Poland’s Iga Swiatek within the ladies’s singles remaining at Wimbledon on July 12, 2025.
| Picture Credit score: AFP
If Iga Swiatek ends her 13-month-long title drought at Wimbledon of all locations, with a victory over Amanda Anisimova of their first-ever assembly, it should certainly be ‘God’s calling’.
The four-time Roland-Garros champion is a bona fide clay-court nice. Having received the U.S. Open in 2022, she is greater than succesful on laborious. However grass has proved slippery. She has misplaced one-fourth of her matches and has had no titles as a senior professional until date.
Over the past three weeks, nonetheless, issues have modified. The 24-year-old reached her maiden remaining on the lawns at Dangerous Homburg in Germany and is now in her first Wimbledon title spherical. By no means earlier than at SW19 had she received greater than 4 matches.
Well-liked idea — there may be greater than a grain of reality right here – is that gamers on a positive footing don’t compete within the week previous a Slam. Swiatek did, and that was indication sufficient of the bottom she needed to cowl.
The Wimbledon of right this moment is extra hospitable to counter-punchers like Swiatek, for it now not carries the tempo and skiddy bounce of yore. However it’s nonetheless quick and desires customised footwork, particularly whereas turning on the corners. The Pole, to her credit score, has discovered a hitherto profitable system.
Anisimova, although, has the sport to ruffle her. Related attack-minded gamers – Jelena Ostapenko being the fantastic instance – have spelt bother previously, hurrying her normally dependable serve and forcing the World No. 4 to be a tad extra aggressive from the baseline than she would really like.
The American could also be in her first Main remaining, however she isn’t any novice. A up to date of Swiatek — simply three months separate the 2 — Anisimova made her presence in a Slam semifinal a full 12 months sooner than the Pole, on the 2019 French Open, earlier than her profession took a unique flip.
Swiatek, nonetheless, is essentially the most certified Wimbledon remaining debutant in current instances – she is 5-0 in Main summit clashes. Will her tempered aggression overcome Anisimova’s straightforward energy?
Printed – July 11, 2025 10:16 pm IST
