Key events
Second set: Osaka 7-6 2-1 Anisimova* (* – denotes next server): In terms of quality, this is not up to the level of the first semi-final.
As I type that, Osaka rips her seventh ace of the match past Anisimova like a fastball past a batter a little ways over to where the Mets play, and she finishes the game with a big winner, quickly making everyone forget that the game was at deuce.
Second set: *Osaka 7-6 1-1 Anisimova (* – denotes next server): Anisimova unleashes a big serve to go up 30-15. On her next point, she hits the ball … can you guess where? That’s 24 unforced errors along with a lot of “forced” errors, and the vast majority of them have hit the net. If she were in the NWSL right now, she’d lead the league in scoring.
To mix things up a bit, she gives up the break by hitting long instead.
Maddening match if you have a strong rooting interest for the resurgent US player. Such a mix of brilliance and shocking misfires.
Second set: Osaka 7-6 0-1 Anisimova* (* – denotes next server): The good news for Anisimova is that her hot and cold form ran hot again, and she has opened the second set with a break. The bad news is that she just fell awkwardly as she hit the ball. She’s up and playing now, but as we’ve seen, once a tennis player feels a tweak somewhere, bad things can happen.
Naomi Osaka wins the first set 7-6
After falling behind 6-1, Anisimova rallies with two good service points. Then the automated officiating system malfunctions, announcing “fault” after the ball has crossed the net multiple times. The umpire awards that point to Anisimova to make it 6-4, but the gap is too much to make up, and yet another unforced error ends the set.
First-set tiebreaker: Anisimova 1-5 Osaka. Anisimova again dumps a shot into the net. Osaka goes back on serve and gets an ace to take a commanding lead.
First-set tiebreaker: Anisimova 1-3 Osaka. An Anisimova double fault is our first mini-break of the tiebreaker.
First set: Anisimova 6-6 Osaka: An Osaka ace interrupts the parade of Anisimova winners, but only briefly. Anisimova moves within two points of the set but then dumps yet another unforced error into the net. Osaka catches Anisimova going the wrong way, and it’s 40-30. Anisimova hits long, and we’re off to a tiebreaker.
First set: Anisimova 6-5 Osaka* (* – denotes next server): Anisimova has found her form, at least in terms of hitting winners. She closes out her service game with aplomb. Can she break and take the set?
First set: *Anisimova 5-5 Osaka (* – denotes next server): Suddenly, Osaka is the one making errors, and she faces three break points. Anisimova gives one back, hitting into the net yet again and having a conversation with herself. But then she hits a forehand return straight down the line, and we’re back on serve.
First set: Anisimova 4-5 Osaka* (* – denotes next server): Much, much better from Anisimova this time. Precise shots all around, and she holds with ease.
So far, Osaka has hit four winners. Anisimova has 16 unforced errors.
First set: *Anisimova 3-5 Osaka (* – denotes next server): Solid play from Anisimova gets her halfway to a break. Osaka takes the next point but then has some trouble handling Anisimova’s power. Double break point. Osaka saves the first, and then Anisimova follows a terrific return with an unforced error into the net.
Are they sure the sensors on the near baseline are working? Not for the first time tonight, a shot that certainly looked long was not flagged, and a flustered Anisimova falls behind. A powerful winner brings up deuce again, but a return sails long to give Osaka the advantage again. Anisimova just can’t keep herself from hitting long, and now she must serve to stay in the set.
First set: Anisimova 3-4 Osaka* (* – denotes next server): Anisimova muddles to 30-30, then unleashes an ace. She nearly wraps things up with another strong serve, but Osaka defends it well and fires back several more times before Anisimova misses. Deuce.
Anisimova takes the next point and smashes a shot to win the game … but it goes long! She takes the next point with a dazzling backhand winner, and she closes out the game with a serve that Osaka can’t return cleanly.
First set: *Anisimova 2-4 Osaka (* – denotes next server): After watching Sabalenka groan and grimace through so many errors in the first semi, it’s strange seeing two players who seem unperturbed by their mistakes here. And Osaka seems almost sad as she taps a ball away following another Anisimova error to close out a routine hold.
First set: Anisimova 2-3 Osaka* (* – denotes next server): Anisimova runs into trouble again with a succession of unforced errors. Now she’s facing two break points. She hits a big serve, but Osaka returns well, scrambles back to the middle of the court, returns again, and Anisimova hits long. Osaka breaks again.
First set: *Anisimova 2-2 Osaka (* – denotes next server): Anisimova’s run in the last game has taken Osaka out of her groove. Two errors bring up two break points. Then Anisimova pounces on Osaka’s second serve to hit a clean forehand winner, and we’re back on serve.
First set: Anisimova 1-2 Osaka* (* – denotes next server): This looks like the Naomi Osaka who has won this tournament before, and this does not look like the Amanda Anisimova who reached the Wimbledon final and beat Iga Swiatek to get to this match.
Osaka wins three points with the calm demeanor of someone stirring her tea. Anisimova finally perks up a bit after a rare Osaka error, forcing the action in the next point. And again, and now it’s deuce. Then a big serve prompts a high arcing return from Osaka, and Anisimova calmly gets under it for the smash. Osaka hits long on the next point, and Anisimova has held the hard way, taking five straight points after falling behind 0-40.
First set: *Anisimova 0-2 Osaka (* – denotes next server): The pace seems rather languid as Osaka holds at love. It’s as if one player has been here several times before and the other has not.
First set: Anisimova 0-1 Osaka* (* – denotes next server): Anisimova starts with two quick points, but perhaps that creates a false sense of security. Just like that, Osaka has break point. Anisimova then hits a perfect crosscourt winner – just kidding, it’s a little bit wide, and Osaka breaks.
Second semi underway
Anisimova serving …
On to the next one …
Naomi Osaka was a few steps beyond “subdued” in her prematch interview. She sounds like she’s recording a meditation tape.
Amanda Anisimova stops to put away her phone.
“It was a really tough match. I had to work hard to get this win. She’s such a g eat player, such a great fighter. Hopefully I can go all the way again. And thank you guys for bringing the best atmosphere.”
The crowd will be against her again in the final, though. They like Sabalenka. They love US players like Anisimova, and Osaka has certainly endeared herself to this crowd over the years.
Back with the second match next, and yes, we’re going to be going well past my bedtime.
Aryna Sabalenka defeats Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
The US veteran put up as much of a fight as anyone possibly could against the overpowering world No. 1 and defending champion. At times, Sabalenka looked like she was going to break a racket over her own head out of frustration with her own inability to put the 31-year-old away.
But for every error, there was a winner or a devastating serve.
Pegula stays alive! Sabalenka comes to the net and is perplexed when Pegula drops a shot onto her feet. That doesn’t seem physically possible.
Sabalenka’s next serve is nigh unreturnable. Match point.
Unbelievable! Sabalenka had an overhead smash to win this semi-final, and she hits straight into the net. Deuce.
The umpire is admonishing the crowd to be quiet. Sabalenka makes plenty of noise, though, hitting each corner to leave Pegula no chance. Match point again.
Sabalenka hits wide. Pegula is just so much more patient, and that has kept this match close. 30-30.
Ace. So close to the line that everyone waited for confirmation. Match point. Crowd roars.
Sabalenka serving for the match …
Sabalenka wins the first point, but the net cord is unkind on the second, popping her shot up into the air to give Pegula all day to get her feet set for the winner.
Pegula hits long. 30-15. Two points away.
Also, Pegula has covered 32 feet per point, while Sabalenka has only needed to cover 28.5.
STATS
Aces: Sabalenka 7-3
Double faults: 4 each
Winners: Sabalenka 40-20
Unforced errors: Sabalenka 26-14
Third set: *Sabalenka 4-6 6-3 5-4 Pegula (* – denotes next server). Pegula certainly isn’t overpowering on her serve, but for the last several service games, she has had pinpoint control of every shot. She again holds at love. Can she finally get the break that has barely eluded her on her last two tries?
This is compelling stuff.
Third set: Sabalenka 4-6 6-3 5-3 Pegula* (* – denotes next server). The big difference in this match is that, while Pegula can hit a winner with some deception and creativity to set things up, Sabalenka can hit a winner from anywhere on the court. Maybe even the stands. Maybe even the parking lot.
But again, is she overcooking it? She alternates winners and errors, then double faults to bring up break point. She flings her racket to the ground but avoids cross comments from the chair umpire. She regains composure to win the next two points quickly. Then Pegula conjures a drop shot out of nowhere, and Sabalenka scrambles but can only hit in the net.
Once again, Pegula is making Sabalenka earn this every step of the way. And while Sabalenka has had her share of errors, for the most part, this is superb tennis, with both players raising their games after a downturn about a half hour ago.
But once again, Sabalenka just dominates a couple of points by brute force. Pegula now faces the pressure of serving to stay in the match.
Third set: *Sabalenka 4-6 6-3 4-3 Pegula (* – denotes next server). Pegula would surely love to have that first game of this set back, because she has been superb since then, forcing Sabalenka to the limit when she’s returning and then dominating her own service games. She holds at love about as routinely as anyone can hold at love against the world’s No. 1 player.
Third set: Sabalenka 4-6 6-3 4-2 Pegula* (* – denotes next server). Is Sabalenka getting overeager here? She has a lot of open court to hit, but she overcooks it and flings it wide to make it 15-30. Then Pegula hits a solid drop shot, Sabalenka swings hard but sends it right to Pegula, and a quick-reaction volley leaves Sabalenka no chance. Double break point.
A thrilling point follows. Sabalenka comes to the net, hits a drop shot, and scrambles back to smash a Pegula lob.
That gets Sabalenka back on track, and she hits a pinpoint backhand winner. Deuce.
Or does it? Shot goes long, and it’s break point again. The crowd erupts – it’s definitely not anti-Sabalenka, but Pegula is a US player still in search of that long-awaited breakthrough, and this is New York.
But the defending champion just has so much power. Two booming points, and she’s serving to erase Pegula’s best chance to stay in the match.
And yet … the rush of blood to the head strikes again (apologies to Coldplay fans). Double fault, and Sabalenka is literally hopping mad at herself. No matter – she forces Pegula to scramble to send a high return that barely lands on Sabalenka’s side of the net, and she’s able to hit one of the easier smashes of her career. One more powerful serve, and she has seen off Pegula’s best challenge of the set.
