Anisimova vs. Keys at Wimbledon promises Fourth of July fireworks

On a Fourth of July where temperatures in London are projected to push past 80 degrees Fahrenheit, the all-American third-round match at Wimbledon between defending finalist Amanda Anisimova and former Australian Open champion Madison Keys is also guaranteed to bring the heat.

After beating Great Britain's Katie Swan to reach the third round for the 10th time in 12 Wimbledon main draws, Keys lauded Anisimova as "one of the best ball strikers in the game probably ever," with "one of the greatest backhands I think I've ever seen."

While Anisimova was sheepish in response to the praise after coming from behind to defeat another American, Sofia Kenin, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6[3], she said that the prospect of playing a player who employs the same first-strike style of tennis "helps raise [her own] level."

"I feel like oftentimes when I'm playing a hard hitter, the quality of the match is a lot better. Just I think that the matchup makes me play better tennis," she said. "I always look forward to those matches.

"It's obviously very nice of her to say that. I think the same of her and her game."

Anisimova wasn't thrilled with the level she brought to the court against Kenin, even going so far as to dub some moments "awful" through relieved laughter in her on-court interview. She admitted she needed to "adjust" to defeat Kenin -- as she often says she has to against "someone scrappy" -- as the 2020 Australian Open champion kept the No. 6 seed off balance by varying flat hitting with higher, loopier balls.

But after releasing tension though a shout of frustration late in the match, Anisimova reversed a 3-1 third-set deficit and found her best level when she needed it most in the 10-point final frame.

Notably, she hit three aces in the tiebreak, which was emblematic of a trend in the match overall. Twenty of her 42 winners in the match were aces. 

"I never though that I'd be saying this, but thank you to my serve today!" she said. "Now, I can finally say that I can serve pretty good."

She later added: "I was struggling a bit with my game today. Then I just told myself, like, 'See, you can hit a forehand.' If anything, it's just, like, a mental thing, I think. It's not like I forget how to play tennis, even though sometimes it feels like it in certain moments.

"It was just a bit of frustration I think I was letting out, and at the same time, just telling myself, like, kind of reinforcing myself, like, you got this and you can step it up. I think from that point on I kind of raised my level. I think I did a good job of that today, finding ways to just raise my level or try to do something different in the match. I kept trying to find like Plan Bs or change things up."

Something will have to give in the fourth all-American matchup of the fortnight. Eastbourne champion Keys has won seven grass-court matches in the last 10 days, while Anisimova won their only head-to-head meeting -- a three-set comeback last year at the WTA Finals.