Ash Barty turns on style to end Amanda Anisimova’s Australian Open revival

When Amanda Anisimova was 16 she was touted as the next Maria Sharapova, partly for her marketability but also for her pacy groundstrokes. More recently, Serena Williams’ coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, likened her to Lindsay Davenport for her impeccable timing.

Sunday night was in some ways an exhibition of both, and against other opponents that might have been enough. Two days ago, against Naomi Osaka, it was. This time, though, while Anisimova became the first player at this year’s Australian Open to break Ash Barty’s serve, she merely won the battle and not the war.

The scorecard read 6-4, 6-3 to Barty, an apt summation of a match in which the unseeded American demonstrated her increasing grand-slam clout but was well beaten by a world No 1 who, based on her form across the opening four rounds, appears on the right path to claiming her country’s first home major title in 44 years.

Last week Rod Laver called Barty “unbeatable” at her best. Anisimova did her utmost to prove him wrong. Until now no one had pushed her past the one-hour mark in a match; the 20-year-old lasted one hour and 14 minutes. She ended the Australian’s tournament serving streak of 63 straight holds to lead 2-0 in the second set, and in all provided the first real test of her first-seed credentials.

But Barty broke her straight back, then set about winning five of the remaining six games to close out the match. And where Anisimova’s offensive-mindedness got her part the way there, her inability to neutralise Barty’s sheer range had her on the back foot for much of the contest.

“She’s an incredible athlete, an incredible competitor,” Barty said of her beaten opponent. “One of her best attributes is she turns up point after point after point. It’s just