Anisimova beats Navarro, will face Pegula in Toronto final

TORONTO (AP) — Amanda Anisimova beat eighth-seeded Emma Navarro 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 on Sunday in an all-American semifinal in the windy National Bank Open.

"Huge accomplishment," said Anisimova, ranked 132nd in the world. "Something I’ve been working really hard toward."

She will face third-seeded defending champion Jessica Pegula in the final Monday in another all-American match. Pegula beat No. 14 Diana Shnaider of Russia 6-4, 6-3.

Anisimova took a mental-health break from tennis last year. The 22-year-old player has two WTA Tour titles — in 2019 in Bogota and 2022 in Melbourne.

"I didn’t want to finish my career on that note," she said. "I had sacrificed so much and given so much to the sport."

She has beaten four top-20 players to reach the final — No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 12 Daria Kasatakina, No. 15 Navarro and No. 17 Anna Kalinskaya. On Saturday, Anisimova beat second-seeded Sabalenka 6-2, 6-2 in the quarterfinals for her first victory over a top-10 player in nearly two years.

"I was trying to fight," Anisimova said. "I’m just happy with how I was able to pull through."

Play at York University was delayed by rain for a little over an hour just before Navarro and Anisimova were scheduled start.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis