Amanda Anisimova knocks out defending Australian Open champ Naomi Osaka

Amanda Anisimova of Freehold Township, New Jersey delivered one of the most impressive victories on Friday at the 2022 Australian Open in Melbourne. In the third round, Anisimova beat two-time Australian Open champion and defending Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka of Japan, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6. In the third set super tiebreak, Anisimova beat Osaka, the 13th seed, 10-5.

Prior to the 2022 Australian Open, Anisimova’s greatest achievement was reaching the semifinals of the 2019 French Open. At Roland Garros three years ago, Anisimova became the second unseeded player to reach the 2019 French Open semifinals. The other was Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic, who lost the 2019 French Open women’s final, 6-1, 6-3, to Australia’s Ashleigh Barty.

This was the second big win for Anisimova at the 2022 Australian Open. The first win came in the second round, where she beat the reigning Olympic gold medalist, Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, 6-2, 7-5. Bencic, who like Anisimova, is a grand slam semifinalist, as she reached the final four of the 2019 U.S. Open, and won the gold medal for Switzerland in women’s singles tennis at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021.

Next up for Anisimova is Barty, the world number one. Barty is looking for her first Australian Open title as her grand slam wins in the past have come at the 2019 French Open and 2021 Wimbledon. In their only prior meeting, Barty beat Anisimova, 6-7, 6-3, 6-3, in the semifinals of the 2019 French Open.

Of the 24 players left in the women’s draw, there are four Americans.The other three are 21st ranked Jessica Pegula of Buffalo, NY, 27th ranked Danielle Collins of St.Petersburg, FL, and Madison Keys of Rock Island, IL. Pegula, who reached the quarterfinals of the 2021 Australian Open, and Keys, who reached the final of the 2017 U.S. Open, are in the fourth round. Collins, who reached the 2019 Australian Open semifinal, is in the third round. In the first round, Keys knocked out 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin of Pembroke Pines, FL, 7-6, 7-5.