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Righto, that’s us for today. Of course, we’ll have reports on tonight’s two big matches, but otherwise join us again tomorrow for the women’s semis: Jessica Pegula v Aryna Sabalenka and Amanda Anisimova v Karolina Muchova or Naomi Osaka. This competition is shaping up! But until then, peace out.
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“Anisimova has really exorcised the demons of that Wimbledon final drubbing only a few months ago,” says Gavriella Epstein-Lightman. “A key reason she’s winning is tactical: Swiatek is trying to outhit her, but Anisimova possesses supreme ballstriking ability so won’t be cowed. Instead, Swiatek needs to get Anisimova moving laterally. Anisimova, incidentally, is using this very gameplay, pushing Swiatek into the backhand corner before finishing off the point with a backhand winner.”
Today is the best I’ve ever seen Anisimova move. Swiatek did try to put her on the bike, but then she just hit on the run.
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Asked why today was different, Anisimova, collapsing into giggles, says “playing here is so freaking special”. To come back from Wimbledon is really special and she’s proved she can do it against anyone. From the start she was trying to fire herself up, Swiatek is one of the best players she’s ever played, and she’s very happy.
Amanda Anisimova is unsurprisingly in a rather chipper mood as she is interviewed following her quarter-final victory over Iga Swaitek. Photograph: Elsa/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 18.11 EDT
But can she keep playing like that? Maybe! Next gor her, Muchova or Osaka.
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Amanda Anisimova (8) beats Iga Swiatek (2) 6-4 6-3
She wins it with another net cord! But what a performance from Anismova, especially after what happened at Wimbledon – playing like that, she can beat anyone.
Amanda Anisimova celebrates winning her quarter-final against Iga Swiatek. Photograph: Mike Segar/ReutersShare
Updated at 18.00 EDT
Swiatek saves the first and there follows a double! Can Anisimova compose? Silence…
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A winner, a massive, kicking second serve down the T. Is Anisimova tightening? She is not! Another booming serve is too hot to Swiatek to handle, and this has been near-perfection. 40-0 and three match points…
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Anisimova is almost playing Swiatek like Wawrinka played Djokovic and Nadal when he beat them in grand slam finals, going after everything in the knowledge that if you have a good day you’re almost unbeatable. She thwacks to 0-30 but we’re soon at 30-all …then yet another winner raises break point, with a second serve to assault. Except Swiatek saves her the bother – she knew was was coming – serving into the net! At 6-4 5-3, Anisimova will now serve for the match!
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I’m not sure there’s a sweeter timer of the ball in the game than Anisimova, who races to 40-0. But a forehand winner right on to the baseline is followed by a putaway at net; 40-30 and pressure. Swiatek’s return is decent, Anisimova clobbers into the net cord … and the power takes it over! She leads 6-4 4-3, and I daresay she fancies going after it in the next game.
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Updated at 18.06 EDT
A winner and Anisimova has 15-all, then Swiatek nets … she’s in a bit of a situation here, especially when she then serves wide. But the hardest delivery in the book, advantage court to the backhand, sets up the point, and she’s soon up 40-3, closing it out in short order. Anisimova leads 6-4 3-3.
A determined looking Iga Swiatek sends a backhand off to Amanda Anisimova. Photograph: Yuki Iwamura/APShare
Updated at 18.13 EDT
At 30-0, Anisimova misses a backhand, not words one supposes to type often; she redeems it in the grand style, clobbering an ace down the T. But Swiatek, trying to turn her opponent’s purple patch against her, makes 40-30 thanks to a tremendous return, then dominates the next rally, Anisimova directed about the court … only to stick in it long enough to elicit the error! She leads 6-4 3-2, and there’s pressure on Swiatek now, who knows one lax service-game could mean curtains.
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Did Anisimova lose a bit of focus after winning the first set? In fairness, Swiatek put it on her from the start, but she didn’t respond with requisite intensity. She holds for 1-2, then nails three blinding returns, the last of them, inside-out on the forehand, raising two break points. So Swiatek again deploys the body-serve, saves one … but yet another missile from the back converts the second! This is brilliant from Anisimova, and we’re back on serve in set two; she leads 6-4 2-2.
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At 40-0, the consolidation looks inevitable, but seconds later, Anisimova nails a backhand winner off return for 40-30, leaping into a deflection that’s past Swiatek almost as she lands. But from there, the consolidation is secured, Anisimova leading 6-4 0-2.
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In comms Marion explains that with Anisimova, it’s all about the footwork, because if she can get to the ball, her natural timing and power are almost unstoppable. After the first set, Swiatek nipped off with her Roland Garros notebook, and she soon makes 15-30; a double follows, Anisimova going for a huge second serve, but now she’s facing two break points and a forehand return to the tootsies accounts for the first. Swiatek trails 0-1 but leads 1-0.
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Amanda Anisimova wins the first set to lead Iga Swiatek 6-4
A couple of good returns help Anisimova make 15-30; she’s not letting Swiatek get away with anything and, as I type, she lands another banging return, on to the line having zoned low over the net. And at 5-4 15-40, it raises two set points. Swiatek them finds a temporary solution, a body-serve than restricts the swing, but she’s outhit from the back in the next rally, dropping well long, and Anisimova has just played probably the best set of her career.
Amanda Anisimova sprints to make a forehand return on her way to taking the first set. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/ReutersShare
Updated at 17.13 EDT
A thumping return from Swiatek makes deuce, anisimovaing Anisimova, but then the real thing returns, a violent forehand winner setting up a quickly converted advantage. The American leads 5-4 in the first, and this is a statement performance … so far.
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Chalé! At 15-all, Anisimova is bang in the rally, but somehow, pinned to the line and with no time to move, Swiatek flows into an inside-out backhand pick-up for a winner that’s the shot of the match so far. The American, though, has taken a liking to Swiatek’s second serve, attacking it to make 30-all … only to slap wide the next. But she’s into this, saving game point with her patented backhand down the line; it might be the best shot in the game right now, and her aggression is bothering Swiatek. On deuce she serves long then, under it, one that dribbles into the net … only to dictate a brilliant point to restore parity. And have a look! Now it’s Swiatek hitting a huge winner, inside-out on the forehand, and this is by the far the highest-level match i’ve seen in the tournament. Both players are absolutely having at it, and it’s glorious to behold. We’re level at 4-4 in the first.
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It’s great to see Anisimova turning up like this. She serves bombs through a love hold to lead 4-3 and it now feels like this match will be decided by s few big points – there’s not loads between the players on this surface and in this form. And Anisimova has been hinting that she might be ready to challenge the elite for a while because she has weapons that few can match.
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Anisimova closes from 0-30 to 30-all, but Swiatek finds a big first serve when she needs it. This is already a really enjoyable match, an inside-out winner on return moving us to deuce. And from there, Iga closes out, sealing the hold and 3-3 with an ace.
Iga Swiatek gets her service game going. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/ReutersShare
Updated at 16.59 EDT
One evaporates when Swiatek improbably edges a leaping forehand, the other when she nets a forehand; you can imagine how much she likes that. And she’ll be equally amused when a second-serve ace flies past, then is literally splitting her sides when an Exocet of an inside-out backhand hisses just inside the sideline. Anisimova leads 3-2.
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At 15-all, a double offers Anisimova a push, but again her forehand lets her down. It’s not a bad shot, but how well she hides it might decide the match because Swiatek has the tools to bother anyone’s. The Wimbledon champ holds for 2-2, then Tim praises “the knowledgable crowd” for … knowing how the Wimbledon final ended, as they cheered when Anisimova got off the mark. I’m not sure the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, has anything to fear at this stage. Swiatek holds for 2-2, then raises two break points at 15-40…
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Another game, another ace, and this time a love hold. Anisimova is getting comfy at 2-1 in the first.
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Attacked from the back, Swiatek goes long for 0-15; a pair of winners follow, earning three break-back points for Anisimova. If she can take one, she also sends a message; if she can’t, she does too. In comms, Marion points out that her forehand is being targeted, flat and hard – because her backhand is immense –and Swiatek quickly makes 30-40. But that aforementioned backhand won’t be denied, two missiles setting up the swing-volley putaway; Anisimova has her game, she’s into the match, and this is building nicely at 1-1 in the first.
Amanda Anisimova fires off a forehand return to Iga Swiatek. Photograph: Ishika Samant/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 16.41 EDT
Anisimova will be desperate to get on the board but two errors, overhitting, mean she’s soon down 15-30. From there, though, and with the help of an ace, she makes game point … but then nets for deuce. She’ll be feeling it, the memory of her Wimbledon final double-bagelling fresh in the memory, and two further errors hand Swiatek an immediate break at 1-0 in the first. I missed who won the toss, but i’d not be at all surprised if she put Anisimova in, hoping to up the pressure. Either way, she leads.
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Amanda Anisimova to serve. Ready … sit quickly please behind the players … play.
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Updated at 16.19 EDT
I picked the underdog in the last match so I’m going to go again: I’m backing Anisimova to spring a surprise because I think her serve and groundstrokes can dictate.
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Coming up next: Amanda Anisimova (8) v Iga Swiatek (2). I’m going to take a quick screen-break, but the match is previewed at the start of the blog.
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I’m chuffed for Felix, who knows what his potential was relative to the player he is – that’s a lot to carry around. He might’ve shrunk when the second set looked like going against him and came back from a break down in set four too, which is a sign of his tenacity. He’ll know that if he plays on Friday as he did today, he’s getting slapped, but the release of winning a match he’ll have felt he had to will release the pressure, and anything from here is gravy.
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Felix laughs when asked about his nerves during the breaker, saying there were nerves from both all the way through, acknowledging that it wasn’t pretty. But he was willing to dig deep and, having made his first semi since 2021, he says it feels longer than four years ago and it’s amazing to be back. There’s still tennis to play and the biggest challenges are yet to come, but that’s what he lives for and he’ll be ready for his match on Friday.
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Felix Auger-Aliassime (25) beats Alex de Minaur (8) 4-6 7-6(7) 7-5 7-6(4)
Auger-Aliassime only needs one! He managed to hold it down just a little bit better, and moves into the semi leaping with joy; he’ll meet Sinner or Musetti. As for our poor Demon, he’s out of there quicksmart, a long, complex and painful healing process awaiting him.
Felix Auger-Aliassime celebrates after defeating Alex de Minaur. Photograph: Yuki Iwamura/APThen hits the match ball into the crowd. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/ReutersShare
Updated at 16.05 EDT
Felix thrashes away on forehand, a banger then three more, and eventually De Minaur goes long in response! At 6-4, here come two match points!
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Whoever loses is, I’m afraid to say, destined for a long night of the soul, because whichever of the two it is, he’ll know he’s not done themselves justice out there. And as if to prove the point Felix surrenders his advantage via double … then Demon restores it in identical fashion! They’re drowning in opportunity and possibility here, Auger-Aliassime up 5-3; De Minaur closes, but here comes Felix, serving atat 5-4. These are the most important points of his life…
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Updated at 15.52 EDT
Look at that! A really good return to a serve that takes him wide keeps Felix in the point then, when Demon doesn’t do enough, he pastes a forehand winner down the line for 3-2 and he’s four holds away from the semis! He quickly makes it three, extending his lead to 4-2 at change of ends!
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Er, frazzled: a demon double hands Felix an immediate mini-break; Felix responds with one of his own, the match in microcosm. They want it so much it’s painful to watch, which is, as the late great MC Ruff would say, “just the way we like it”. Further mini-breaks are then swapped, and we’re at 2-2, Auger-Aliassime leading by two sets to one.
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We’ve been going nearly four hours for our nearly four sets, and both men look pretty fresh; I can’t imagine the pain they’ve suffered to get them in this kind of shape. And as if to prove the point, Felix monfilses an overhead, on the leap and on the retreat, a quite rrrrrridiculous piece of athleticism; it makes him 30-15, from there he quickly closes out, and here comes another breaker. How are your nerves, lads?
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Felix nets when he shouldn’t for 15-0, then at 15-all, a cunning inside-out backhand winner noses De Minaur back in front and a big forehand makes 40-15, before a netted return secures the hold. Leading 2-1 but down 5-6, Auger-Aliassime must now serve to stay in set four. Can he keep himself calm?
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