Amanda Anisimova will bid to crown her improbable redemption mission at the US Open on Saturday as world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka seeks to grab her final chance of the year to win a Grand Slam.
Two months after suffering a catastrophic 6-0, 6-0 thrashing in the Wimbledon final, Anisimova has bounced back to stand on the brink of completing a fairytale comeback in New York.
The 24-year-old eighth seed held her nerve to battle past Naomi Osaka in the semifinals, winning 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 in an instant classic that finished in the early hours of Friday morning.
For Anisimova, the win represented a personal triumph after the trauma of her drubbing by Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon in July.
The American, who took an eight-month break from tennis in 2023, citing burnout and depression, says her success in New York is attributable to the steps she has taken to prioritise her mental health.
"Obviously, it served me well, and I'm really happy with the choice that I made," Anisimova said of her decision to step away from the sport.
"It's clearly paying off now, and I feel like I have a whole new perspective when I step onto the court. Even on regular days or training days, I think I appreciate the process a lot more than I used to."
MENTAL MUSCLE MEMORY
That resilience was on full display in Thursday night's thriller with Osaka, when she banished any negative thoughts to claw her way into the final.
"I could have easily said, 'Oh, she's playing better than me, and I can't really do anything,'" Anisimova said afterwards.
"I really tried to find a way, any way I could to stay in the match, even though it was extremely tough."
Anisimova will also head into Saturday's final armed with the mental muscle memory of having beaten reigning US Open champion Sabalenka in six of their nine previous meetings.
That winning record includes a defeat of Sabalenka in the semifinals at Wimbledon, where she prevailed in another tense three-setter.
"We've had very, very tough matches," Anisimova said of Sabalenka.
"But I think the standout one was probably Wimbledon. It was really a seesaw match, which is almost always the case when I play her."
Sabalenka, who advanced to Saturday's final with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 defeat of American fourth seed Jessica Pegula, is bracing for another dogfight, admitting she still dwells on her Wimbledon defeat by Anisimova.
"I have to trust myself, and I have to go after my shots," she said. "I felt like in that match at Wimby, I was doubting a lot my decisions, and that was the main thing that was bringing a lot of unforced errors.
'TOUGH LESSONS'
"I gave her a lot of opportunities, and of course, she played incredible tennis, but I feel like I had my opportunities. I didn't use them."
The 27-year-old from Belarus is also determined to avoid finishing her Grand Slam season empty-handed.
The powerful right-hander was beaten in both the Australian and Roland Garros finals this year before her Wimbledon exit, and is in no mood to let another chance to claim a fourth career Grand Slam singles title pass her by.
That sense of steely determination was on display at the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday as she fought back from a set down to squeeze past Pegula.
"I badly wanted to give myself another opportunity, another final, and I want to prove to myself that I learned those tough lessons and I can do better in the finals," said Sabalenka, referencing this season's losses in Melbourne and Paris.
Sabalenka is also aiming to achieve something that has become increasingly rare over the years in successfully defending the US Open.
No woman has retained the title since Serena Williams won three in a row in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Asked earlier in the tournament for her thoughts on the fact that the last 11 US Open titles have been shared between 10 players, Sabalenka quipped: "My thought is to change it."