America’s Emma Navarro has now entered into her fourth QF of the season, and she’s now all set to fight against her compatriot Amanda Anisimova to book a spot in the SF of the 2025 Charleston Open. Meanwhile, Anisimova hasn’t yet dropped a set in this tournament. Speaking about her opponent in her next match, Navarro said, “Amanda is really tough…She plays a really big game. Strong serve. Strong from the baseline. I’ll try to push back against that.” Can Navarro bring out a favorable outcome from this all-American clash in her home tournament?
Emma Navarro vs Amanda Anisimova: Preview
Emma Navarro has already won a title this year. She defeated Emiliana Arango (COL) in the final of the Merida Open Akron by double bagel earlier this year. Although after that, Navarro didn’t have a great outing at the ‘Sunshine Doubles,’ she started her campaign in Charleston on the front foot.
She defeated Hailey Baptiste (USA) in her first match by straight sets, but then in the R16, it took her three sets to outclass Ashlyn Krueger (USA). Can she keep her winning run intact in one of her favorite tournaments?
Well, just like Navarro, even Amanda Anisimova has won a title this year. She outclassed the former world number 5, Jelena Ostapenko, in the Qatar Open final by 6-4,6-3. Other than that, she also reached the QF of Hobart International in January this year.
Here in Charleston, she started her campaign with a comfortable victory over Veronika Kudermetova (RUS) and then in the second match she defeated Kazakhstani star, Yulia Putintseva, by 6-4,6-4.
Navarro vs Anisimova: Head-to-Head
Although Emma Navarro and Amanda Anisimova grew up alongside each other as 2001-born peers, they didn’t meet each other on the court before 2022. Interestingly, Anisimova had the last laugh in both of their previous meetings and hence she currently leads the H2H record by 2-0.
2024 Toronto SF: Anisimova, 6-3,2-6,6-2.
2022 Indian Wells R128: Anisimova, 6-2,6-2.
Prediction: Navarro will win this match in a tight three-setter
Emma Navarro grew up playing on Charleston’s Daniel Island courts, and she made her WTA main-draw debut here as a wild card in 2019. So, she knows this surface better than anyone else! Although Navarro has competed in every edition of the Charleston Open, this will be her first QF appearance here. There is a lot at stake for the number 11 at the moment. Navarro can get back into the Top 10 with a win against Anisimova.
If we take a look at their records this season, Navarro has a win-loss record of 13-7 as of now, but on the other hand, Anisimova (16) has recorded 13-6. Both these players have been quite impressive this season, but beating Navarro in front of the Charleston fans is a really tough ask!
Talking about their playing styles, Amanda Anisimova is known for her aggressive baseline style, characterized by powerful groundstrokes, a particularly strong two-handed backhand, and effective return of the serve, making her a formidable opponent on any surface. Her nimble footwork and her incredible ability to secure points by playing longer rallies are the two other noteworthy things in her game.
Conversely, Emma Navarro is known for her versatile and ‘mold-breaking’ playing style, characterized by excellent court movement, strong baseline game, and a willingness to attack the net. She employs a compact, tactically astute game, and this can be very effective on this surface. However, both these players have committed quite a few double faults this season. So, keeping this tidy will be extremely crucial in this epic battle.
Considering all these factors and also the support of the American crowd, I feel the home favorite will get the better of Anisimova in this match.
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