Tennis: From for top favorite: Anisimova demands Swiadek in the final

Surprise finalist Amanda Anisimova and the former world ranking Iga Swiatek play for the title in Wimbledon. The American Anisimova ended the dreams of the top favorite Aryna Sabalenka in a heat crime thriller after a big fight for 2:36 hours with 6: 4, 4: 6, 6: 4.

Then the Polish Swiatek gave no chance in the second semi -finals Belinda Bencic from Switzerland at 6: 2, 6-0. It only took 71 minutes for the sovereign victory. For both, it is the first final at the classic lawn on Saturday.

Sabalenka’s use as a water carrier

In both games there were interruptions at more than 30 degrees on the Center Court because fans were not doing well in the audience. In the first set, the Belarusian Sabalenka hurried to the freezing rest and handed a bottle with water and a cooling pack on the stands. Officials took care of the spectators, they were able to go off the stands after about five minutes. There was also an incident with Swiatek’s victory.

Anisimova with a long break because of mental problems

For Anisimova, the final entry is the preliminary highlight of your comeback. In 2023 she had taken months of tennis break because of a burnout and mental problems. Last year the American in Wimbledon failed in qualifying to Eva Lys.

“It doesn’t feel real,” said Anisimova and said when asked about her return: “If you had told me that I was in the Wimbledon final, I would not have believed that, at least not so soon.”

Sabalenka depressed: “Losing annoying”

For Sabalenka, however, hope for her first title in Wimbledon ended prematurely. In the quarter-finals, the three-time Grand Slam tournament winner had defeated the last remaining German Laura Siegemund. “Losing is annoying,” she said in the press conference. “You always feel like you want to die. You don’t want to exist anymore and that is the end of your life.”

Like the Schwäbin, Sabalenka lost the first sentence again, fought back brilliantly and was already in front with a break in the third round. But Anisimova prevailed in a high -class game.

She will now be an outsider in the final. Swiatek has triumphed five times at one of the big four tournaments in her career. So far, however, in Wimbledon it ended in the quarter -finals at the latest, and it rarely caught on lawn until this season. Now she presents herself in a strong form, recently she was in the final at the preparation tournament in Bad Homburg.

Bencic had enthusiastically in Wimbledon 15 months after the birth of her daughter Bella, but never came into play in the semifinals.