Unseeded Anisimova Upsets Defending Champion Halep to Reach French Open Semis Versus Barty

(June 6, 2019) Unseeded 17-year-old American Amanda Anisimova upset defending champion Simona Halep in the French Open quarterfinals on Thursday. The rain washed out play on Wednesday and the matches were carried over.

“What?!,” the U.S. teen born in New Jersey to Russian immigrants, ranked No. 51 in the world said after match point in stunned disbelief winning 6-2, 6-4 to reach her first major semifinal.

“I don’t think it will sink in, at least not for today. Yeah, I mean, it’s crazy,” said Anisimova after the match. “I really can’t believe the result today. And getting the opportunity to play against Simona, that’s amazing. But how it ended is even crazier to me.”

Anisimova is the first player born in the 2000’s to reach a major semifinal, the youngest U.S. woman to reach the French Open final four since a 14-year-old Jennifer Capriati did it in 1990.

Amanda Anisimova is the youngest Grand Slam semifinalist at a major tournament since Nicole Vaidisova at 2007 Australian Open and youngest in Paris since 2006. She is also the youngest U.S. woman to reach a major semifinal since 1997 US Open (Venus Williams, Finalist).

Anisimova’s opponent for a place in the final, will be Australia’s Ashleigh Barty, who is the highest remaining seed in the women’s draw.

No. 8 Barty took care of No. 14 Madison Keys of the United States 6-3, 7-5.

Barty said that she felt like she was in control during the entire match, despite clay being her least favorite surface.  The women will all play their semifinal matches on Friday. The other women’s semifinal will pit No. 26 Johanna Konta of Great Britain against unseeded 19-year-old Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic. None of the four women left in the draw has ever won a major.

Barty, who is 23, took two years off from tennis to play cricket. Three years ago, she was making her way back to tennis ranked in the 600’s. Now she’s reached the Top 5 as of Monday.

With Marketa Vondrousova and Anisimova both advancing to the semifinals, this marks the first time that two teenagers have reached a major since 2009 US Open (Caroline Wozniacki and Yanina Wickmayer). The last time this took place at Roland Garros was in 2001 (Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters).