Anisimova turns Toronto rain into comeback fuel
A first-set deficit against an unfamiliar left-hander forces Amanda Anisimova to reset her baseline targets and rediscover the enjoyment that has been missing since her wrist injury.
Amanda Anisimova arrived at the National Bank Open carrying questions about rhythm after a wrist injury limited her spring schedule. The No. 8 seed faced Nikola Bartunkova for the first time and dropped the opening set before the rain arrived in Toronto.
Weather pauses heighten mental strain
Multiple delays interrupted the match yet Anisimova used the stops to regroup. She watched Bartunkova mix slice backhands and sudden changes of direction early, then lengthened her own crosscourt forehand exchanges once play resumed. The adjustment produced a 6-0 second set in thirty minutes.
She later saved two break points at 4-2 in the decider by flattening an inside-out winner down the line. That hold from 15-40 sealed the 3-6 6-0 6-4 victory in one hour and fifty-nine minutes.
“I’m just trying to find my game, and yeah, find myself on the court. I feel like it’s been a really long year. I’m trying to find my enjoyment as well. I think that was really important for me today is that I felt like I was myself again on the court.”
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The hard-court speed rewarded heavier swings once the surface dried between showers. Anisimova mixed inside-in forehands when Bartunkova shaded toward the forehand corner, limiting the Czech’s ability to redirect with underspin.
Tactical resets unlock late-set resilience
Jessica Pegula navigated her own interruptions against Kamilla Rakhimova. She built a 6-4 4-0 lead before the longest rain delay, then returned to win eight straight games for a 6-4 6-0 result.
Pegula pushed Rakhimova wide with crosscourt backhands and stepped inside for inside-out forehands that produced short balls she could attack. The one-two pattern kept the Russian on the defensive even after the weather break.
She now meets Diana Shnaider in the round of 16, a rematch that will test whether the same aggressive baseline angles travel against a player who prefers to counterpunch.
Hard-court pace rewards surface adjustments
Marta Kostyuk dismantled Madison Keys 6-3 6-1 after two prior grass-court losses. She took the ball early on both wings and kept Keys pinned behind the baseline with slice backhands and precise down-the-line winners.
By directing first-serve returns crosscourt and following with inside-in forehands, Kostyuk prevented Keys from establishing her preferred wide serve plus inside-out combination. The quicker bounce limited Keys’ ability to load heavy topspin.
Anisimova reflected on managing Bartunkova’s variety after falling behind early, crediting her ability to reset in the second set and fight from 4-2 down in the decider. Those tactical tweaks helped her manage a long year that included limited match play after Wimbledon.
The National Bank Open fourth round now looms with fresh questions about how these players will sustain focus through further delays. Pegula’s path includes a rematch against Shnaider while Kostyuk’s efficient outing sets up a different challenge that rewards the tactical adjustments she made on this surface. Anisimova’s psychological reset may prove decisive if she can translate the late-set resilience into longer matches ahead.
