Amanda Anisimova's Redemption Run Falls Short as the Wimbledon Finalist Bows to Svitolina Again in Montreal

Amanda Anisimova continued her strong post-Wimbledon form with a dominant win over Emma Raducanu in the Canadian Open, but her push for a hard-court breakthrough came to a halt on Monday night in Montreal, where she was beaten by Elina Svitolina in straight sets.

The 6-4, 6-1 loss marked the fourth time in five meetings that Anisimova has fallen to the Ukrainian veteran, a rivalry that remains lopsided despite Anisimova's recent rise to No. 7 in the WTA rankings.

Momentum from Wimbledon

Amanda Anisimova, 23, entered the Canadian Open's Round of 16 riding with a 14–3 record since the start of the grass court season, the best win-loss ratio on the tour during that stretch. Her recent success includes a title in Doha and a runner-up finish at Wimbledon, where she reached her first Grand Slam final.

Her latest win, a commanding 6-2, 6-1 victory over Great Britain's Emma Raducanu, reflected her current level. Anisimova hit 29 winners in just over an hour, holding Raducanu to only five winners and two service holds. The American's powerful groundstrokes overwhelmed the Brit, who had previously beaten her twice.

'I knew I had to start strong', Anisimova said after the match. 'Emma's had my number before'.

That victory also marked her 50th career win at a WTA-1000 event. This was a milestone achieved by just eight other American women in the modern WTA 1000 era.

A Familiar Foe on Centre Court

In the fourth round, Anisimova faced Elina Svitolina in a highly anticipated night match on Montreal's Centre Court. Svitolina, who won the Canadian Open in 2017, had beaten Anisimova in three of their previous four matches. This includes their last hard court meeting in Chicago in 2021.

Known for her tactical variation and steady baseline play, Svitolina entered the match in fine form after dismantling Anna Kalinskaya 6-1, 6-1 in her third-round encounter.

Despite Anisimova's momentum and improved shot selection over recent weeks, she struggled to impose her power game against Svitolina's rhythm-breaking slices and well-timed drops.

According to WTATennis.com, the match hinged on second-serve pressure and break-point conversion. These were two areas where Svitolina held a decisive edge.

Svitolina Halts the Surge

Svitolina controlled much of the Round of 16 clash, winning 6-4, 6-1 in just over 75 minutes. After a competitive opening set, Anisimova's level dropped as Svitolina forced errors and kept rallies unpredictable.

The result pushes Svitolina's head-to-head lead over Anisimova to 4–1, underlining the tactical difficulties Anisimova faces against the former world No. 3.

Anisimova landed just 52% of her second serves and converted only one of four break points. In contrast, Svitolina capitalised on five of her nine opportunities, highlighting her superior efficiency in pressure situations.

Looking Ahead

While the defeat ended Amanda Anisimova's Montreal run, it does little to overshadow her broader summer campaign. The American has now won 14 of her last 18 matches. This is a stretch unmatched by any other player on tour since the grass swing began.

Her consistent results have seen her rise steadily up the WTA rankings, and her current standing as world No. 7 positions her well heading into the rest of the North American hard court season, including next week's Cincinnati Open and the upcoming US Open.

Amanda Anisimova may not have solved the Svitolina puzzle this time, but the strides she has made since Wimbledon suggest her resurgence remains on track.