Finalist Anisimova continues painting Wimbledon masterpiece

LONDON :Wimbledon finalist and part-time artist Amanda Anisimova said she might paint something with a 'lot of white and green' to illustrate her magical run at the All England Club.

She could even embellish it with a dab of silver too if she goes on to beat favourite Iga Swiatek and lift the Venus Rosewater Dish on Centre Court on Saturday.

"I typically do abstract, so it would be hard," the 23-year-old said, when asked what she might conjure up next, after stunning world number one Aryna Sabalenka 6-4 4-6 6-4 in Thursday's semi-final.

"Maybe it's some inspiration for me when I get back to make a piece."

There was plenty of inspiration on show, and no little grit, in Anisimova's tennis as she eclipsed top seed Sabalenka for much of a riveting duel, holding her nerve to convert her fourth match point against the increasingly vocal Belarusian.

Lesser players might have been intimidated by the sheer force of Sabalenka's shots, and personality, in their first Wimbledon semi-final. Instead Anisimova went toe-to-toe with the three-times Grand Slam champion, refusing to give an inch.

Anisimova was even spoken to by the chair umpire at one stage in the second set after appearing to celebrate one winner with a roar while Sabalenka was still chasing her shot.

"I wasn't celebrating. It was just, like, a long grunt, I guess. I don't really know what the deal was there, because I didn't feel like it was interfering," she said.

"It was just such a high-stakes match. I think we were both grunting a lot out there. We have a big game, so that's the outcome of it."

The 13th seed also failed to acknowledge a slice of good fortune with a net cord during a rally late in the deciding set.

"She just wanted, I guess, badly to win this match, Sabalenka