Anisimova takes down defending champion Sabalenka in Madrid

A new champion will be crowned at the Madrid Open, as Amanda Anisimova took down defending champion Aryna Sabalenka.

It was not a match that had any tennis variety, as fans in the Spanish capital mostly saw the same rallies over and over again. That doesn't mean it was boring, as it was a very exciting match between two players who hit the ball hard.

For the majority of the first set, it was Anisimova who came out on top in rallies. The first set went to the American, who won it 6-2, as she looked really strong on the tennis courts once again.

Anisimova has played stellar tennis this week, and it seems like a season, in which she might break out majorly if she keeps up the consistency. Things changed quite a bit in the second set, as this time around, Sabalenka played in a better rhythm.

She jumped out to an early 4-1 lead, which Anisimova cut back to 4-3. However, the American failed to win a game on her serve, as the Belarusian player was able to win the second set 6-3, taking the match into the decider.

Given the result of the second set, she certainly fancied her chances in the third set. In the second set, Anisimova had more chances than Sabalenka, but the Belarusian played the crucial rallies much better.

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The third set opened better for the American, who looked comfortable on her own serve. She broke her opponent's serve as well but gave the one-break advantage back not long after that.

That shifted the momentum completely for a while, but eventually, Anisimova could close the match out, winning the final set 6-4 and the match 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 to advance at the 2022 Madrid Open.

She sealed the win with Sabalenka's double fault, which was, in a sense, a fitting conclusion to the match, which saw the defending champion exit the tournament.

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