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January 22, 2022,
All of the matches at the 2022 Australian Open are recorded and documented.
Just for the record.
Then there are some matches that are documented and recorded because they just made history.
They are already legend.
They are already historic.
Amanda Anisimova vs the defending Australian Open Champion Naomi Osaka is historic.
One for the history books. We knew that going into this match.
From our archives. We knew history was about to be made. A match that will be dissected and spoken about for years.
Here is what we said two days ago.
“The Third Round of a Grand Slam is a time for show downs.
What is major headline news is Naomi Osaka’s showdown in the Third Round with America’s Amanda Anisimova, who after a few years of inconsistent play is currently streaking.
Given Naomi’s recent struggles, yes she easily made it through the first two rounds but those victories came against talented players she was expected to defeat.
Amanda recently defeated the number 22 seed in Belinda Bencic.
In just two sets.
That was not expected.
In our minds this is a huge showdown.
And test.
For Naomi.”
We said it was a test for Naomi, leaving out Amanda, because there were so many other delicious to salacious nuggets of interest on Naomi’s plate.
The largest one was, if Naomi is pressed and under pressure, which she will absolutely be when she plays an incredibly tough Amanda, will she crack and meltdown under the pressure?
Even if others did not say so, we sense it was on their minds.
And Naomi’s too.
When these two formidable female warriors entered the court, there was clearly tension and electricity in the air.
Naomi would take the first set in workman like fashion, 6-4.
At this point, it would appear like business as usual. That the mentally tough and determined Naomi that we’ve come to know and love is back.
We love our traditions.
We love our champions to play like and be who they are supposed to be.
That kind of thinking is about us as fans. There is always another side to that equation.
New champions are always emerging.
Just as Naomi was when she defeated Serena Williams 6-2, 6-4, in a tension filled 2018 US Open.
At that point, many of us were hoping that one of the greatest female tennis players of all time would play at her highest level and hold off this surging upstart in Naomi Osaka, even if we did love and admire the shy rising star from the Land of the Rising Sun.
It was not to be and a new formidable champion was formed.
Right now, today, is Amanda Anisimova’s time and she proved that by coming from behind to close out Naomi 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (10-5 tiebreaker).
When the big moments came, she took some brave shots. She could have played it safe with the percentages but she went for broke and hit the jackpot on very high risk winners.
Will she now go on to win the 2022 Australian Open? It is possible. She certainly has the weapons and grit to do it.
Next up, Australia’s own Ashleigh Barty, most likely the crowd favorite, will be standing in her way.
Thus far, Ash Barty has been cruising through the 2022 Open in expected fashion defeating Lesia Tsurenko 6-0, 6-1, Lucia Bronzetti 6-1, 6-1, and Camila Giorgi 6-2, 6-3.
Not a struggle in sight.
That can be both good and bad.
It is good to get off of the courts early and maintain good health and a fresh body.
It may not be enhancing if thus far every match has been easy and you are not battle tested. Yes, Ash is a great player and veteran but can having everything go as planned prepare you for a match with a surging Amanda where nothing may go as planned?
We will soon see.
So while Amanda is the real story in the third round, Naomi is always “the” story wherever and whenever she competes at a Grand Slam and we would say that even though Naomi lost, we are a little relieved.
In watching portions of the match, even when things were not going well, she didn’t throw her racquet or have a major emotional meltdown.
She lost fairly quietly. Fairly. With maturity. And dignity.
The traditional Naomi in demeanor that we have come to admire and completely love.
The global news and information source CNN reported, “Defending champion Naomi Osaka has been knocked out of the Australian Open by unseeded American Amanda Anisimova.
Osaka, a two time Australian Open champion, had gone a set up in the high quality match on Friday but failed to close it out, with the 20-year-old Anisimova completing her comeback in a third set tie-break to win 4-6 6-3 7-6 (10-5).”
From our view, what are the three key words in their quote?
High quality match.
And it was.
It’s not like Madison Key’s earlier match against Qiang Wang, where Madison clearly was not playing her best tennis and barely survived.
Naomi played well. Amanda just played better when it really mattered.
On the big points.
Naomi actually led in the third set and Amanda had to fight off two match points. Once she turned it around, she never let Naomi back in the fight in the tie-breaker, where things were finally going to be decided.
We of course will be watching Amanda’s fourth round match with Ash Barty with keen interest. It reminds us a little of fellow American Sofia Kenin’s incredible 2020 Australian Open run where she eventually won it all and became the youngest American to win a Grand Slam women’s singles title since Serena Williams achieved it in 1999.
The leaders in the industry at wtatennis.com expressed, “Anisimova’s 2-hour, 15-minute victory was the 20-year-old American’s seventh Top 20 win of her career, and first since she beat Alison Riske in the second round of the 2020 US Open. After reaching a career-high ranking of No.21 in October 2019, Anisimova fell to No.86 last August after two difficult seasons.”
Intriguing.
Are we standing at the gateway of a long-term resurgence by Amanda where she breaks through and consistently plays at a very high level or is this a temporary rise of the Phoenix? A high bright moment in the sun, soon to be extinguished?
It is impossible to say.
Live in the moment.
Right now, Amanda is the toast of the women’s tennis world.
We’ll be content to stay in the moment and applaud passionately about that.
~ ~ ~
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https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/21/tennis/naomi-osaka-knocked-out-australian-open-spt-intl/index.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sofia_Kenin
https://www.fcielitecompetitor.com/
https://fciwomenswrestling.com/
