07/02/26 12:46:00
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07/02 12:45 CDT Anisimova avoids Wimbledon upset with 20 aces in win over
Kenin. Swiatek and Zverev also advance
Anisimova avoids Wimbledon upset with 20 aces in win over Kenin. Swiatek and
Zverev also advance
By KEN MAGUIRE
AP Sports Writer
LONDON (AP) --- Amanda Anisimova served three of her 20 aces in the deciding
tiebreaker to hold off Sofia Kenin 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (3) and reach the third round
at Wimbledon on Thursday as Kate, the Princess of Wales, visited the All
England Club.
Anisimova, who was consoled by Kate a year ago after being routed by Iga
Swiatek in the final, trailed 3-1 in the third set before she broke back in the
sixth game against her fellow American.
"Some moments were really awful. I'm just so happy through to the next round,"
Anisimova said on No. 2 Court.
"I never thought that I'd be saying this --- but thank you to my serve today,"
she added. "I'm not an amazing server. Now, I can finally say I can serve
pretty good."
The sixth-seeded Anisimova whacked her racket on her leg at one point in the
deciding set.
"I was down 3-1 and I told myself to just keep fighting and this might be your
last moments at Wimbledon ... just try and maybe have fun and enjoy it," said
Anisimova, who will next face 26th-seeded Madison Keys. "I try to remind
myself, just have fun, you are playing at Wimbledon. I do get hard on myself
sometimes."
Swiatek, who beat Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 for the 2025 title on Centre Court, needed
just 70 minutes to get past 2021 Wimbledon finalist Karolina Pliskova 6-1, 6-3.
The defending champion gets Filipino rising star Alexandra Eala, who rallied to
beat Maya Joint 3-6, 6-2, 6-0, in the third round. On Tuesday, Joint spoiled
Serena Williams' singles comeback.
Fritz emulates Tiafoe with tear-away pants
A well-dressed Taylor Fritz impressed again, beating compatriot Patrick Kypson
6-2, 6-2, 7-5 to reach the third round.
Fritz's white blazer and NBA-style warmup pants for his walk-on at No. 2 Court
drew attention but his play wasn't bad either --- he fired 19 aces and avoided
getting pushed into a fourth set.
The sixth-seeded American, a semifinalist last year, emphatically pumped his
right fist when he broke Kypson to convert his fourth match point.
Fritz also won his opener in straight sets and had worn a similar outfit with
tear-away warmup pants --- designed to easily unbutton as you pull them off in
one tug.
"I took it off slowly in the first round. I kind of actually made a mess of
it," Fritz said in his press conference. "It's actually just a lot easier to
just rip them off. I saw a video of Frances (Tiafoe) doing it. I was just
trying to copy him today. "
Later, an equally dapper Tiafoe showed how it's done --- earning applause for
quickly pulling off the bottoms before his match against Jan Choinksi.
Naomi Osaka's fashion statements have made her court walk-ons must-see viewing
at Grand Slam tournaments --- Wimbledon included.
Also Thursday, both second-seeded Alexander Zverev and fifth-seeded Alex de
Minaur recorded straight-set victories.
___
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
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