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Match details
Fixture: (1) Ashleigh Barty vs Amanda Anisimova.
Date: 23 January 2022.
Tournament: Australian Open 2022.
Round: Fourth round (Round of 16).
Venue: Melbourne, Australia.
Category: Grand Slam.
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt.
Prize money: $75,000,000.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Six, Sony Liv.
Ashleigh Barty vs Amanda Anisimova preview
World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty will face off against 20-year-old Amanda Anisimova in a blockbuster fourth-round clash at the Australian Open on Sunday.
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The Aussie continued her charge at her home Slam after capturing the title in Adelaide earlier this month. The Wimbledon champion has looked unstoppable so far, dropping just eight games in three matches. Barty will be eager to keep her maiden Australian Open title bid alive, but she will face a stern challenge in the shape of Anisimova.
Having dispatched Lesia Tsurenko 6-0, 6-1 and Lucia Bronzetti 6-1, 6-1 in her first couple of rounds, Barty next met the dangerous Camila Giorgi, who won the Canadian Open last year. The 25-year-old expertly neutralized the Italian's pace and power to run away to a 6-2, 6-3 win.
The 2020 Australian Open semifinalist will be eager to keep her maiden title bid alive but has a huge challenge waiting for her in the form of Anisimova.
Anisimova and Barty last squared off during the American's breakthrough run to the semifinals of the 2019 French Open. In a topsy-turvy encounter, the Aussie raced out to a 5-0 lead before Anisimova pegged her back to take the first set and build a 3-0 lead in the second set.
Barty had to dig deep and summon her champion self to take the improbable win in three sets.
That match will be etched in the World No.1's memory forever. Anisimova brought the fighter in Barty, who has since went on to claim two Grand Slam titles.
Barty will now face Anisimova in the midst of yet another of her barnstorming runs.
The American sensation is now a flawless 8-0 for the season, having collected her second career title in Melbourne Summer Set 2 at the start of the year. She hasn't had the smoothest of draws at the Australian Open but has so far played some spellbinding tennis to knock out defending champion Naomi Osaka and Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic.
Anisimova's third-round encounter with Osaka was especially the talk of the town. The youngster rebounded from a set down and even had to save two match points on her way to a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (10-5) win.
With the confidence gained from that big win, Anisimova will try once again to topple Barty.
Ashleigh Barty vs Amanda Anisimova head-to-head
Barty leads the head-to-head against Anisimova 1-0, having won their solitary encounter 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-3 in the semifinals of the 2019 French Open.
Ashleigh Barty vs Amanda Anisimova prediction
Two winning streaks will collide in this battle of contrasting styles. While Anisimova is on an eight-match winning streak, Barty will attempt to win her eighth consecutive match of the season.
Amanda Anisimova is currently one of the hardest hitters on the tour. She showed exceptional poise and maturity to weather the early storm and go to-to-toe with Osaka. Unleashing deep returns consistently, she snatched the match away from the four-time Grand Slam winner.
Anisimova finished with 46 winners to Osaka's 21, which validates how well she struck the ball against the Japanese.
Barty will have a barrage of fierce groundstrokes coming from the other end when she faces the American on Sunday. However, the Aussie has the tools to perfectly blunt her power.
Barty will look to use her backhand slices a lot more to disrupt her aggressive opponent's rhythm. Her fabulous footwork, sharp angles and delicate dropshots will be key to putting pressure on the youngster.
The top seed's serve is also a major weapon. She faced four break points against Giorgi, all in one game, but wriggled herself out of trouble with great serves.
Anisimova definitely has the talent to make it tough for Barty but needs a lot more experience to handle the Aussie's versatile game.
Prediction: Ashleigh Barty to win in two tight sets.
