In all-American affair, Amanda Anisimova topples Emma Navarro to reach Toronto final

Amanda Anisimova came through an all-American semifinal on Sunday at the National Bank Open against No. 8 seed Emma Navarro 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 to reach her first WTA 1000-level final.

The former world No. 21, now ranked No. 132, is the second-lowest ranked WTA 1000 finalist in history. Only two-time Grand Slam winner Svetlana Kuznetsova was ranked lower, at No. 150, when she reached the final in Cincinnati in 2019.

Anisimova has now beaten four Top 20 players in a row to reach her first WTA 1000 final, and first final of any kind since she won the Melbourne Summer Set WTA 250 in January two years ago. She previously defeated Daria Kasatkina and Anna Kalinskaya before topping No.2 seed Aryna Sabalenka for her first Top 10 win since 2022 in the quarterfinals.

"It's crazy. I'm so happy. It was a tough battle out there ... especially with the conditions today," Anisimova said post-match. "It was super stressful, so I'm just so relieved.

"Every match, I try to bring my best tennis and just be there every point, mentally all there. ... It's not easy playing top players almost every match, so I'm just really happy with how I've been performing."

In addition to swirling winds, Anisimova overcame a foot blister that affected her in the second set, where she lost five straight games from a set and a break up. But a titanic break of Navarro's serve at 1-1 in the decider gave her a lead she never relinquished. Navarro led 40-0 in the game, and had six game points across seven deuces, before Anisimova broke serve on her fourth opportunity to win the game.

Anisimova later saved a break point in the sixth game that would've allowed Navarro to level the set at 3-3.

Anisimova will face the winner of Sunday night's semifinal between defending champion and No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula and No. 14 seed Diana Shnaider. Should Pegula win, the pair will contest the first all-American final in Canada since 2001, while Anisimova and Shnaider could be the first two players aged 23 or younger to play for the title at the event since Dominika Cibulkova and Dinara Safina in 2008.