Amanda Anisimova Survives Scare Against Lilli Tagger

Amanda Anisimova bends, but does not break. On a hot, restless day in New York, last year’s beaten finalist was forced to dig properly deep before turning back 18‑year‑old Lilli Tagger 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 and booking her place in the US Open third round.

For long stretches, this was not a procession for the No 10 seed. It was a test of nerve, patience and problem‑solving against a teenager who looked nothing like a debutant and everything like a name that will stick around.

Anisimova survives a scare

Anisimova opened as if intent on making a statement. She pocketed the first set 6-3, her weight of shot and cleaner timing giving her early control against the Austrian, who is playing her first main draw at Flushing Meadows.

Tagger refused to play the role of respectful newcomer. She jumped on Anisimova’s dip in intensity at the start of the second set, breaking immediately and dragging the favourite into longer, more physical exchanges. The American’s rhythm frayed, the errors crept in, and Tagger kept swinging with conviction. The teenager levelled the match 6-3, flipping the mood on Grandstand and forcing Anisimova into a decider she had not planned on.

That is where the match hardened.

Anisimova steadied herself, then started to hit through the court again. She broke early for 2-0 in the third to reclaim the initiative, but Tagger still would not go quietly. The third game became a mini-epic, stretching beyond nine minutes, Anisimova earning a sixth break point only to see it saved, Tagger even nudging ahead to game point.

The pressure finally told. A brutal forehand return from Anisimova ripped away Tagger’s advantage and, a few points later, the hold. From there the American accelerated. She finally broke the teenager’s resistance for 4-0, effectively breaking the back of the contest, and then held firm to close out the set 6-1.

It was not flawless, but it was the kind of win that can sharpen a campaign. Anisimova had to absorb a surge from a fearless opponent, recalibrate, and then reassert herself with authority. She leaves the court stretched, but stronger for it.

Next up is Anastasia Potapova or Leolia Jeanjean in round three. Looming further ahead is a potential round‑of‑16 clash with Mirra Andreeva, a meeting of shot‑makers that already feels like one of the matches this tournament needs.

Tagger, though, leaves a mark of her own. At 18, on debut, she stood toe‑to‑toe with a recent finalist and forced her into a deciding set. On this evidence, this is not the last time her name appears on a big stadium scoreboard in New York.