Swiatek, Anisimova battle to be new queen of Wimbledon

IGA Swiatek and Amanda Anisimova clash in the Wimbledon final today with only one thing certain - there will be an eighth consecutive first-time winner of the women's tournament.

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Swiatek and Anisimova will both be making their first appearance in the Wimbledon final after unexpected runs to the showpiece occasion.

No player has retained the crown since the now-retired Serena Williams won her seventh and final title at the All England Club in 2016.

Aryna Sabalenka started as the hot favourite after reaching the past three Grand Slam finals but faltered in a gripping semifinal against American 13th seed Anisimova.

Poland's Swiatek is seeded eighth at Wimbledon following a disappointing first half of the season, though she is back up to fourth in the rankings after reaching the final of the grass-court Bad Homburg tournament.

That run, together with her surge through the draw at All England Club, suggests the 24-year-old is cured of her grass-court allergy.

Initially she went under the radar at Wimbledon, with the focus on Sabalenka and French Open champion Coco Gauff, but she kept winning while the top seeds tumbled, dropping just one set on route to the final.