Amanda Anisimova will play her second Grand Slam final of the season and first at the US Open, following her semifinal victory against Naomi Osaka.
After narrowly conceding the first set, Anisimova came back to beat Osaka 6-7, 7-6, 6-3 to advance to the championship match, where she will face the defending champion Aryna Sabalenka.
The American, who suffered a heartbreaking end to her campaign at the All England Club in July, is now the youngest player to reach the final at both Wimbledon and the US Open since Serena and Venus Williams in 2002.
Anisimova was close to bowing out of the tournament when forced to a second-set tiebreak, but was spurred on by her coach, Hendrik Vleeshouwers.
Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty ImagesWhat Hendrik Vleeshouwers did before the second set tiebreak
Commentating on Sky Sports, former American tennis player Mary Joe Fernandez revealed that Vleeshouwers ‘scalded’ the world number nine before the set decider.
Anisimova then went on to win the tiebreak, which gave her the momentum to go on and take the decisive third set.
Fernandez said: “Can I just say, when Amanda’s coach scalded her and said stop being a baby. I am telling you, that is what she needed to hear. I thought that was great.”
Former German player Andrea Petkovic added: “What was so great about it was he is not scared of her.
“That is the weird dynamic of tennis. The player pays the coach to be the authority over your game when the player technically has the power to fire him or her any time they want. That is so great to see that he is not impressed by that at all.”
Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty ImagesAmanda Anisimova becomes fourth American to achieve US Open feat
With her triumph, Anisimova has become the fourth American to defeat multiple former world number ones at a single edition of the US Open.
Before beating Osaka, in the quarterfinals, she overcame Iga Swiatek in straight sets, earning revenge against the Pole following the Wimbledon final.
She follows Tracy Austin and the Williams sisters in the list of US stars to have completed the feat.
Just one victory now separates Anisimova and a maiden Grand Slam title, which she will have to defeat a red-hot Sabalenka to clinch.