Meanwhile, the quirks of round-robin play are new to Anisimova, who is playing the year-end championships for the first time.
Disappointed after losing to Rybakina in her opening match, the two-time Grand Slam finalist shook off any lingering hangover at the 11th hour to keep her hopes of qualifying for the semifinals alive. She won 11 of the last 13 games against Keys, admitting afterwards that one of her primary objectives coming back to the court after a 6-3, 6-1 loss was to “put up a fight today.”
The 48-hour swing now sees the American flying high ahead of her third match against Swiatek this year.
Read more: Amanda Anisimova becomes only player to beat all four 2025 Grand Slam women’s champions this year
“Now it feels more like a real tournament, that you know if you win, you progress, and then if you lose, you’re out,” she said. “So yeah, [I’m] just looking forward to it, and hopefully I can give it my best shot.”
“I love facing the top opponents here, and every single player that I play here is going to be a really tough challenge, so it’s just going to be another one for me,” she added. “I’m happy to have a win under my belt for sure going into it.”
