In their first-round match at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, on New Year’s Day, Amanda Anisimova triumphantly returned to Hologic WTA Tour action, defeating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5, 6-4.
Anisimova, a former World No. 21 and semifinals at Roland Garros in 2019, was participating in her first match since falling to Arantxa Rus in the first round of the Madrid Open eight months prior.
The 22-year-old American needed an hour and fifty-five minutes to overcome 2021 Roland Garros finalist Pavlyuchenkova in her comeback match. Since defeating Vera Zvonareva in Dubai in February of last year, this is Anisimova’s first victory.
After her match, Anisimova stated on the court, “I knew it was going to be a really tough match playing against her, and I’m just happy that I was able to pull off the win and play some good tennis.”
Six of the first eight games of the match went against serve thanks to the two power hitters’ outstanding return play. After a Pavlyuchenkova backhand went wide, Anisimova took the seventh break of the opening period to lead 6-5. The American then won the next game with a second-serve ace.
In the second set, Anisimova stormed to a 5-1 lead, but former World No. 11 Pavlyuchenkova narrowed the margin with three straight victories to take the set 5-4. Anisimova, serving for the second time in the match, let double match point slip back to deuce, but her winning forehand set up a third match point. There, Anisimova won with her sixth ace of the match.
Anisimova leads Pavlyuchenkova 2-0 at this point. In their 2018 encounter at Indian Wells, Anisimova won in straight sets as well.
In the second round, Anisimova will next face Czech Republic’s Marie Bouzkova, ranked No. 5; this will be their first career meeting. Earlier on Monday, Bouzkova defeated Magdalena Frech of Poland 6-0, 3-6, 6-4.
Other first-round outcomes from Monday included American qualifier Sachia Vickery losing to No. 3 seed Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine 7-5, 6-4, and American Emma Navarro defeating Czech teenager Linda Fruhvirtova 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Wang Xinyu, the sixth seed, defeated Yulia Putintseva 6-4, 7-5 on Monday as well. She will play Wang Xiyu, another Chinese player, in the second round. Wang Xiyu defeated Jaqueline Cristian 6-1, 5-7, 7-6(3).
