Amanda Anisimova keeps on running fast in Hiroshima to reach her first WTA final.
The American is having an amazing (but somewhat expected) run in Japan. In fact, while Amanda had to start from the qualifications as she was still ranked no.134, she reached the final after 6 matches dropping just 1 set.
Amanda lost just 8 games in the first 3 matches in the main draw, but the semifinal was against the seed no.1 Shuai Zhang and that wasn’t expected to be an easy match. Things got rather complicated for the young American after she was broken in the 3rd game (1-2) pf the opening set; Amanda managed to break back in the 8th game, but eventually, she had to drop her serve again in the 11th game (5-6). Shuai failed to convert a set point in the following game and Anisimova broke the Chinese again before winning the set at the breaker.
The second set was another battle, but it was the American again to find the solution after she conquered the decisive break in the 11th game before winning the match 7-6 (4) 7-5.
.@AnisimovaAmanda stuns top-seeded Zhang, 7-6(4), 7-5, to reach her first career WTA final!
Awaits Wang/Hsieh winner! #hanacupidopen pic.twitter.com/WcliOdPxsJ
— WTA (@WTA) September 15, 2018
Amanda will face either the world no.40 Su-Wei Hsieh or the world no.44 Qiang Wang in the final.
In both cases, Anisimova should be the favorite for the title.
