Amanda Anisimova defeated 18-year-old Lilli Tagger 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 at the US Open and advanced to the third round. The match is complete. Anisimova controlled short points early, lost control when Tagger took charge of the second set, and then restored the depth of her shots and her court position in the deciding set. Her response in the final set decided a match that had changed direction after the opener.
Anisimova attacked first in the opening set
Early in the match, Anisimova served with purpose and used both groundstroke wings to take time away from Tagger. The first strong shot did not always finish the point, but it pushed the teenager into a defensive reply. That allowed the American to step inside the baseline for the next ball. The important detail was spacing: she attacked while balanced instead of reaching for an angle from a wide position. This gave her a stable opening without needing to aim near the line on every exchange.
Tagger took control in the second set
The second set turned after a difficult return exchange helped Tagger create a break chance and Anisimova followed with a double fault. Tagger then won four of the next five games. Her response showed that the opening set had not removed her belief. She raised the height and depth of her shots, made Anisimova play an extra ball and used the changing scoreboard to increase pressure. The younger player did not need to copy her opponent’s pace. She found a pattern of exchanges that gave her enough time to compete.
| Set | What changed |
|---|---|
| First set | Anisimova controlled the early attacks |
| Second set | Tagger earned an early break and protected the lead |
| Deciding set | Anisimova restored shot depth and reduced errors |
| Outcome | Anisimova advanced to the third round |
Anisimova changed her plan for the deciding set
Anisimova could not recover by simply hitting every shot harder. She needed to restore the margin over the net and move Tagger before choosing the finishing direction. The third set showed that adjustment. Better depth prevented the Austrian from standing comfortably near the baseline, while cleaner serving reduced the number of neutral starts. Once the American regained a lead, she continued the same pattern rather than rushing toward match point. That discipline turned a close momentum battle into a clear final set without erasing the work Tagger had done earlier.
Early attacks still require patience
Anisimova’s game is most dangerous when a serve or return creates an early attacking chance. The phrase can be misunderstood as an instruction to finish every point in two shots. In practice, the first strike often creates a weaker reply and the next ball completes the advantage. When the first attack does not open the court, patience prevents an unnecessary error. Against Tagger, the balance between force and selection changed across the match. The deciding set worked because Anisimova recovered the selection as well as the pace.
Tagger forced Anisimova to solve new problems
At 18, Tagger faced a seeded opponent on a major stage and recovered after losing the opening set. Her middle-set run showed strong competitive adjustment. The final set exposed the next challenge: maintaining depth when the opponent responds with greater consistency and takes the ball earlier. That is a development point, not a reason to dismiss the set she won. A young player gains more from understanding why the pattern changed than from treating the result as either a complete success or a failure.
Good conditions supported long exchanges
Comfortable weather on Grandstand reduced the need to manage extreme heat, but a three-set match still tests footwork and concentration. Anisimova had to keep the lower body active after the momentum shift. When the legs stop setting the base, the same swing produces less control and the player begins reaching. Her improved positioning in the decider suggests that the adjustment included movement, not only shot choice. Tagger also had to recover after a demanding second-set push, making the opening games of the third especially important.
