Simona Halep crashes out to teen Amanda Anisimova at French Open
CNN/Stylemagazine.com Newswire | 6/6/2019, 9:09 a.m.
Simona Halep crushed a teen in her last French Open outing, but the defending champion was in turn humbled by teenager Amanda Anisimova in their rain-delayed quarterfinal.
CREDIT: Christophe Archambault/AFP/Getty Images
By Ravi Ubha, CNN
(CNN) -- Simona Halep crushed a teen in her last French Open outing, but the defending champion was in turn humbled by teenager Amanda Anisimova in their rain-delayed quarterfinal.
Halep lost 6-2 6-4 to the American 17-year-old in an hour, eight minutes at Roland Garros Thursday.
Blasting ground strokes, showing court smarts and staying calm when Halep temporarily rallied in the second set, Anisimova became the youngest semifinalist at Roland Garros since Nicole Vaidisova in 2006.
The world No. 51 had already been the first player born in the 2000s to make a grand slam quarterfinal.
Anisimova dropped her racket after striking a backhand down the line on a first match point -- fitting, since her backhand was devastating -- but hasn't dropped a set this fortnight like the other teen into the last four, Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic.
Seconds after Anisimova downed Halep on Philippe Chatrier, the surging Ashleigh Barty of Australia moved into a maiden grand slam semifinal herself by beating Anisimova's compatriot Madison Keys 6-3 7-5 a day after rain washed out the remaining two men's and women's quarterfinals.
