Anisimova upsets champion Osaka
American, 20, saves two match points to reach fourth round at Australian Open.
MELBOURNE, Australia — Defending champion Naomi Osaka didn’t make it to a much-anticipated fourth-round contest against top-ranked Ash Barty at the Australian Open.
Amanda Anisimova, a 20year-old American ranked 60th in the world, ensured that so-called final-beforethe-final won’t happen when she beat the four-time major champion 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5) late Friday.
“I just want to soak in this moment,” Anisimova said. “It was an amazing match. It was very close. You know, there were a bit of nerves, and to play Naomi for the first time it’s unreal.”
After losing the first set, Anisimova saved two match points in the third set, serving to stay in the match, and ended it with an ace. She hit 46 winners to Osaka’s 21.
“I’m not sure if I’m going to have regrets about those two match points,” Osaka said. “Like, I thought she played really well.”
Barty advanced with a 6-2, 6-3 win over 30th-seeded Camila Giorgi on Rod Laver Arena, the match starting later and finishing earlier than the Osaka-Anisimova contest on the adjoining Margaret Court Arena.
In early matches Saturday, two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep advanced with an easy 6-2, 6-1 victory over Danka Kovinic.
Halep’s next opponent will be Alize Cornet, who won 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 over No. 29 Tamara Zidansek.
On the men’s side, Rafael Nadal wrapped up the Day 5 program on Rod Laver Arena by beating Olympic silver medalist Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1.
Olympic gold medalist Alexander Zverev had a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win over Radu Albot to set up a fourth-round match against 14th-seeded Denis Shapovalov, a 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 winner over No. 23 Reilly Opelka 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.