Resurgent Anisimova stuns Navarro to reach Toronto final
Amanda Anisimova defeated Emma Navarro 6-3, 2-6, 6-2. She will play the winner of the match between Diana Shnaider and Jessica Pegula in the final
Amanda Anisimova, National Bank Open, Toronto, 2024 © Icon SMI / Panoramic
Amanda Anisimova was in excellent form as she defeated compatriot and eighth-seeded Emma Navarro 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 to reach the final of the National Bank Open in Toronto.
It is the American’s maiden 1000-level final and the first she has reached on the WTA Tour in two years and eight months.
Reaching the final in Toronto caps a remarkable week for Anisimova, who has put together her best winning run since returning from a nine-month break last year, taken to protect her mental health.
Having openly struggled mentally and physically throughout her career, there has always been a sense that Anisimova’s true potential has not yet fully been realised. Her talent has never been in question, most evident in her superb run to the semi-finals of Roland-Garros in 2019 as a 17-year-old.
But recurrent injury issues and mental health struggles in recent years, stemming from what she said were the relentless pressures of being a modern tennis player, have conspired against Anisimova earning that big breakthrough title.
However, at the 2024 National Bank Open, this could be about to change. The 22-year-old’s form in Toronto this week has been reminiscent of those nascent bursts of success earlier in her career, with Anisimova looking as though she has rediscovered some of her very best tennis.
anisimova too good for in-form navarro in toronto
En route to the semi-finals, Anisimova stormed past world No 3 Aryna Sabalenka in stunning fashion.
Today, again, was particularly impressive, as the currently-ranked world No 132 ultimately outplayed the in-form world No 15, hitting through her compatriot’s defences with effortless power while serving excellently.
The opening set was settled by an early break of the Navarro serve, with Anisimova striking in the second game and refusing to relinquish her own serve for the remainder.
In the second stanza Navarro elevated her level considerably, wiping out an early break at 1-2 down before breaking twice more to accelerate to a dominant second-set win and level the contest.
But those three middle-stanza breaks were to be Navarro’s last of the match, as Anisimova rediscovered her earlier intensity, displaying superb fighting qualities to earn another two breaks and vanquish her fellow American, reaching the biggest final of her career in the process.
She will play either Diana Shnaider, currently in the best form of her life, or defending champion Jessica Pegula in the showpiece match.
A title in Toronto would be perfect preparation for Anisimova’s home Grand Slam, as the final major of the year – the US Open – comes rapidly into view.
Regardless of the outcome of the final, however, today’s victory marks a significant milestone in the young American’s still early career. With innate talent in abundance, and only 22 years of age, there is no reason why this young woman can’t have a big say in how the narrative of the next 10 years on the WTA Tour play out.
It is a joy to see her back.
