Seventeen-year-old Amanda Anisimova produced a stunning performance to defeat defending champion Simona Halep in the French Open quarter-finals.
Anisimova is the first player born in the 2000s to reach the last eight at a slam and she overcame her nerves to hit Halep off the court in a 6-2 6-4 victory.
Halep's defeat means there is guaranteed to be a first-time slam champion come Saturday, with Britain's Johanna Konta the only one of the remaining quartet who had ever reached a singles semi-final before.
Amazing Amanda! The 🇺🇸 teen upsets defending champion Halep 6-2 6-4 to reach semi-finals. 🎾 https://t.co/gVXdWyx95u#RG19 pic.twitter.com/CuRnIFQRmk — Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 6, 2019
If Anisimova can keep playing like this, there is no reason it cannot be her. She is the youngest semi-finalist at Roland Garros since Nicole Vaidisova in 2006 and is yet to drop a set.
The daughter of Russian immigrants to the United States, she has been a rising star for a number of years and made her grand slam breakthrough by reaching the fourth round at the Australian Open.
A prodigious ball-striker – particularly off her backhand side – and a fine mover, the 51st-ranked American raced through the first set, with Halep simply unable to find any answer.
Anisimova the surged into a 4-1 lead in the second set before the nerves kicked in and Halep fought back to level at 4-4.
A first Grand Slam semifinal, a place in the world's top 5 – @ashbar96 just keeps getting better and better! Next up the No.8 seed plays 17yo American Amanda Anisimova, conqueror of reigning champ Simona Halep. Friday, 7:00pm AEST. #GoAussies #RG19 pic.twitter.com/OlTMc3X86H — TennisAustralia (@TennisAustralia) June 6, 2019
Anisimova saved a break point to stop the rot and in the end it was Halep who was the more jittery player, serving a double fault to cough up a match point, which her opponent took with a backhand winner.
In the last four, Anisimova will take on another first-time grand slam semi-finalist in Australia's Ashleigh Barty.
The eighth seed is more thought of as a threat on faster surfaces but she has been in superb form this season and has carried that onto the clay.
Barty was a 6-3 7-5 winner over 14th seed Madison Keys, taking her second opportunity to serve out the victory.
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