Defiant Anisimova sends Sabalenka packing with thrilling run to first final

Amanda Anisimova is relishing the prospect of her first Grand Slam final and promised to "make it a battle" after she held her nerve in a tense contest to defeat top seed and world No 1, Aryna Sabalenka, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.

- Paul MacInnes

In a match that featured two pauses to deal with health emergencies in the stands and where spectators were abandoning their seats due to the lunchtime heat, the play on court largely failed to catch fire. It was a duel of many errors, many disputed line calls and only sporadic outbursts of consistent play. But there could be no doubting Anisimova's durability or her cool in the 30C weather. Sabalenka, meanwhile, was often to be found howling into the summer air.

"I feel amazing," Anisimova said, reflecting on her victory. "I mean, it's so exciting to be in the final here. I think I still can't believe it in a way. [Sabalenka] is such a tough player. I knew that I had to really dig deep and make as little mistakes as possible. I feel like we really fought out there today. The conditions weren't easy."