Anisimova wins all-American battle to reach Round of 16 in Melbourne

For the second consecutive year, Amanda Anisimova is through to the Australian Open fourth round, this time after defeating compatriot Peyton Stearns 6-1, 6-4 at Margaret Court Arena.

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On what is expected to be one of the hottest days of the tournament, the World No. 4 made sure she wouldn’t be in the sun for long, wrapping up the win in 1 hour and 11 minutes on Saturday afternoon.

Besides, the heat wasn’t anything a Florida kid isn't used to.

“Yeah, I’d say the Florida section in the USTA was pretty powerful,” Anisimova said in her on-court interview. “I think it’s just the fact that we had so many outdoor courts in the summer. It was always so hot. I hated training in the summer, but you know what? At least it paid off a little bit.

“But yeah, it’s just great to be playing out here. And even when it’s so hot, it’s nice to have a challenge.”

It’s the fourth time Anisimova has reached the Round of 16 Melbourne, and she got there by beating Stearns for the first time on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz. She has yet to drop a set this week and never appeared in real danger of doing so here, despite a late charge from Stearns.

Anisimova saved a break point in the opening game before breaking Stearns for a 2-0 lead shortly after. She then added another break to go ahead 5-1 before serving out the set in a little over half an hour.

Just when it looked like she would cruise to victory with a 5-2 lead in the second set, Stearns fought off a match point and broke for the second time in three games. After narrowing the gap to 5-4 and saving another match point, the former University of Texas standout finally succumbed to a forehand winner that sent Anisimova to the fourth round.

Here’s some takeaways from her straight-sets win:

Hit me with your best shot: While Anisimova’s backhand often gets the spotlight, her forehand delivered many of her finer moments on Saturday -- including the match-point winner.

But it was to be outdone by one she hit earlier in the match. Already up a break in the second set, she ripped a forehand right down the line and by the outstretched arms of Stearns to set up triple break point.

Stearns managed to save the first, but not the second as Anisimova broke for a 4-1 lead.

Stat of the match: One could look at Anisimova’s serving numbers and find plenty to catch their eye. But it was the heat that dictated much of the play, so much so that across more than 100 points, not a single rally reached nine shots.

With temperatures hovering around 95 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the match and expected to climb past 100 later in the day, both players kept points short and took risks.

In the end, Anisimova was the more aggressive of the two. Her 30 unforced errors more than doubled Stearns’ 14, but she also produced 14 winners to Stearns’ six, including the one that mattered most: the last one.

What’s next: As a result, Anisimova moves into the fourth round, where she’ll face the winner of the third-round match between No. 13 seed Linda Noskova and Wang Xinyu. 

She has never faced Wang, but leads Noskova 2-1, including a three-set victory in last year’s Beijing final.