Amanda Anisimova defeated Mirra Andreeva in a captivating match at the Miami Open, concluding Andreeva`s impressive 13-match winning streak. Anisimova secured the victory with a score of 7-6(5), 2-6, 6-3 in the third round on Sunday night.
In a contest featuring two standout players of the season, the 17th-seeded Anisimova prevailed over world No. 6 Andreeva in a hard-fought battle lasting 2 hours and 49 minutes. This win marks Anisimova`s tenth career victory against a Top 10 opponent.
Key Match Insights
WTA 1000 Champions Clash: This third-round encounter was notable as it pitted two players who have each claimed WTA 1000 titles this season against each other. Anisimova, who was unseeded, won the Qatar TotalEnergies Open in Doha earlier this year.
Andreeva subsequently dominated the next two WTA 1000 events, winning both Dubai and Indian Wells consecutively. The 17-year-old had her sights set on becoming the first teenager to achieve the “Sunshine Double.”
However, Anisimova showcased glimpses of her Doha form to hold off the in-form Andreeva in Miami. Currently at a career-high ranking of No. 17, the 23-year-old Floridian has advanced to the Round of 16 at her home event for the first time.
Crucial Break Points: The match was tightly contested from the very beginning. Andreeva served for the first set at 5-4 but was broken, leading to Anisimova taking the set in a tiebreak. Andreeva responded strongly to dominate the second set.
In the decisive third set, Andreeva had two break point opportunities to take a 2-0 lead. However, Anisimova`s aggressive play, featuring a powerful serve and a winning overhead, denied these chances, leveling the score at 1-1.
This momentum shift proved crucial as Anisimova broke Andreeva in the following game to take a 2-1 lead, which ultimately became the decisive break of the set.
Andreeva had two more break points in Anisimova`s next service game, but Anisimova again defended them with strong shots – a backhand crosscourt winner and a forehand winner – securing her path to victory.
Both players broke serve four times throughout the match, but Anisimova demonstrated a superior break point conversion rate (4 out of 9 compared to Andreeva`s 4 out of 16). Notably, Anisimova successfully defended all four break points she faced in the final set.
Upcoming Match Against Raducanu: Anisimova is set to face Emma Raducanu in the next round for a place in the quarterfinals. Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, progressed after McCartney Kessler retired due to injury in their third-round match.
Raducanu, a former world No. 10, is showing strong form in Miami, including a notable victory over Emma Navarro in the second round. This week marks Raducanu`s first instance of winning three consecutive matches at a Hologic WTA Tour event or Grand Slam since Wimbledon last year.
Amanda Anisimova and Emma Raducanu previously played at the Australian Open earlier this year, where Raducanu won in the second round with a score of 6-3, 7-5.
