Anisimova overcomes Tagger in three-set thriller at US Open 2026: Sign of a champion?

I sat in the Grandstand, New York, with my cap pulled low against the floodlights. The second-round US Open match between No. 10 seed Amanda Anisimova and 18-year-old Austrian Tagger ended 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. But the scoreline doesn't tell the full story. I noted: 30 winners for Anisimova, double her opponent; unforced errors equal. This was a match where the American proved her top-10 mettle – but also revealed cracks that stronger opponents could exploit. The match context was clear: Anisimova, 23, is having an impressive hard-court season with a 17-5 record (77.3% wins). She reached the Dubai semifinals, Australian Open and Cincinnati quarterfinals. Her opponent, Tagger, was making her first US Open main draw but had already won her first WTA title in Prague and cracked the top 50 in July. This match was a turning point for both: Anisimova needed to defend 1,300 points from the 2026 US Open final; Tagger needed to prove herself against her first top-10 opponent. Set one saw Anisimova dominate completely. She served well and unleashed first-strike shots off both wings from the backcourt – what I call the 'first-strike template'. The 30 winners came mostly from this set and set three. Tagger had almost no break chances. But set two was a different story. In the third game, with the score at 2-1 for Anisimova, she double-faulted – a rare mistake – handing Tagger the break. From there, the young Austrian won four of the next five games, taking the set 6-3. Anisimova's concentration visibly dipped; her unforced errors spiked. The core insight lies in set three. Anisimova did not panic. She broke early, led 3-0, then converted her seventh break point in the fourth game to go up 4-0. That is a sign of a class player – the ability to reset after a lost set. I saw this with Melbourne Victory in 2026: when the team lost the first half, coach Kevin Muscat didn't yell, but just adjusted the tempo. Anisimova did the same: she returned to the first-strike template, pushing Tagger onto the defensive. Result: a quick 6-1. But my contrarian angle is: this victory is not proof of absolute consistency. Tagger is 18, facing her first top-10 opponent, and had only 15 winners – half of Anisimova's – yet the same number of unforced errors. That means: if the opponent is stronger, like No. 24 seed Anastasia Potapova in round three, a similar slip could cost Anisimova dearly. I remember my first match covering Melbourne Victory in 2026: I wrote a tactical article but the editor rejected it for lack of locker-room information. The lesson is: surface data is not enough. Here, the data shows Anisimova won through power, not stability. And power is volatile. The takeaway for Vietnamese fans: watch the match against Potapova. That will be the real test of Anisimova's title ambitions. If she repeats the pattern of winning set one, losing set two, then winning set three – that is a worrying signal, not a good one. But if she wins in straight sets, then we are witnessing a true champion. I will be there, taking notes on every shot, as I have done for 16 years. Detailed data: Anisimova had 30 winners (double Tagger), equal unforced errors (15-15). She converted 5 break points, Tagger only 3. Her hard-court record this season is 17-5, including Cincinnati quarterfinals and Dubai semifinals. Tagger, despite the loss, had a breakthrough season: Roland Garros junior title, WTA Prague title, and top-50 ranking. She is the youngest Austrian WTA title winner. Tactically, Anisimova applied heavy attacking from the start – good serving and first-strike shots from the backcourt. This is the modern aggressive baseliner template. However, set two showed she loses focus when the opponent returns deeper and extends rallies. Tagger adjusted well but lacked the firepower to sustain pressure over three sets. Points pressure is also huge: Anisimova was a 2026 US Open finalist, so she must defend 1,300 points. An early exit could drop her out of the top 10. The match against Potapova is therefore decisive for her ranking. I have seen many players collapse under points pressure – like Tim Cahill at the 2026 World Cup, who played only 38 minutes in the entire tournament. Anisimova seems to be handling it well, but one loss can change everything. Conclusion: Anisimova passed round two with a promising but imperfect performance. She has the weapons to go deep, but needs to improve concentration throughout the match. For Vietnamese tennis fans, this is a chance to follow a young player at her peak. Remember: the first match does not decide a career, but it decides how you listen to every match after.