It will be a battle between first-time Wimbledon finalists when Iga Swiatek and Amanda Anisimova collide in an intriguing championship matchup on Saturday afternoon. Surprisingly, it is also a first-ever head-to-head meeting.
Not too much unlike the case of her favorite player, Rafael Nadal, there have been questions in the relatively early stages of Swiatek’s career about her ability to win on grass. Although those questions still remain, a positive answer is looking more and more likely. The 24-year-old Pole finished runner-up in Bad Homburg last month (lost to to Jessica Pegula) and has carried over her solid grass-court form into the All-England Club. She has advanced so far with victories over Polina Kudermetova, Caty McNally, Danielle Collins, Clara Tauson, Liudmila Samsonova, and Belinda Bencic.
Similarly, Anisimova laid the foundation for a Wimbledon run with an impressive grass-court warmup. The 12th-ranked American reached the Queen’s Club final and the Berlin quarters. She is now 12-2 on grass this summer and 31-12 for her 2025 campaign following wins in SW19 over Yulia Putintseva, Renata Zarazua, Dalma Galfi, Linda Noskova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. An opening 6-0, 6-0 double-bagel of Putintseva was certainly a sign of things to come for Anisimova.
As well as Anisimova is playing, there are both tangible and intangible factors that could tip the scales in Swiatek’s favor.
The world No. 4 has played in five Grand Slam finals and has won all of them–four at Roland Garros and one at the U.S. Open. This is Anisimova’s first slam final and she had not even advanced to a semi since her appearance in the last four of the 2019 French Open. Between the lines, the 23-year-old will have to clean up her serve. She has double-faulted 36 times during this tournament–at least 12 more than any other woman. Her double-fault totals in the last five rounds are nine, eight, six, six, and five. In the biggest match of her life against one of the game’s best returners, those numbers are unlikely to improve.
Anisimova is obviously the bigger hitter and should be able to keep it close if she serves at a high percentage, but the edge goes to Swiatek.
Pick: Swiatek in 3
I often say I like WTA because I do. But I can’t stand these lopsided uncompetitive matches where good players have lost lamely early on or someone plays really well to take someone out and then plays like a drain the next.
Yes Amy never a truer word, Bartoli against Lisicki springs to mind, Lisicki playing out of her mind beating Serena and all the other top players in her half of the draw, only to lose so badly in the final pftt
Amy what I like about your posts is that your more a fan of tennis as a whole , rather than being a lover of one particular player, it’s rare to see on forums these days
Thanks Alison!! We had bloody well better get a fantastic men’s final tomorrow!! We know we will see incredible rallies even if someone does win in straights.
Am praying for a five setter!
I hope so too Amy, the ladies final was an anti climax, I think and hope we will be in for a five set treat tomorrow, otherwise SW19 will have been a wash out finals wise
On the bright side, let’s hope for a competitive final tomorrow on the men’s side, I hope for repeat of the FO final, which I will be able to watch this time
Watching 40 years of Live Aid which is more entertaining than the WTA final
solid choice
Lol yes some things get remembered for all the right reasons, sadly not this final though
Dont know about that, it was no contest, but the raw of emotion was there to see,a happy/sad occasion, bit like when Novotna was in tears.
The spectators should get a refund for having to watch such an unprofessional performance by Anisimova, unacceptable at this level.
Swaitec never allowed Anisimova to play her game, it was that simple
Amanda was serving at 29% first serve mid way through that atrocious first set Alison! And she had served numerous dfs! If you serve like that on grass in a slam final you are going to be murdered… And that really was totally on her and being so nervous..
29% first serve is unbelievably low and may constitute another grim record. Plus the serves she was getting in weren’t great.
The course of the match was established in those first few games. If she had got on the board she would presumably have loosened up a bit..
True but all irrelevant though now Amy
Anisimova never showed up, that has nothing to do with Swiatek.
mostly accurate