Anisimova, Cressy reach finals at Melbourne Warm-Ups

Amanda Anisimova and Maxime Cressy will play for titles in the first week of 2022 after both unseeded Americans blitzed through their respective draws at the Melbourne Summer Set at Melbourne Park. Anisimova, playing in one of two WTA 250 events being held this week in Melbourne, is through to her first WTA final in more than two years, while Cressy is into his first ATP singles final. 

Anisimova needed just 56 minutes to defeat No. 3 seed Daria Kasatkina of Russia in Saturday's semifinals, 6-2, 6-0, her second win against a seeded player this week. Earlier on in the tournament, Anisimova also defeated Belgian Alison van Uyvanck (7-6(5), 1-6, 7-5), and a pair of Romanians in No. 5 seed Sorana Cirstea (6-4, 6-1) and Irina-Camelia Begu (2-6, 6-3, 6-2). 

"I had a slow start yesterday [against Begu, where she lost the first five games]. My team and I talked about it a little bit because I don't want that happening again. We had a little bit more of an intense warm-up today. I came out playing really well, so I'm really happy with how I played today," Anisimova said after the match. "I had a long and tough year last year, so my season was cut a little bit short. We had a long preseason and it went really well ... so I really enjoyed it and I'm feeling really good."

Now down to world No. 78 in the rankings, Anisimova is working with famed Australian coach Darren Cahill this week in Melbourne, and the 20-year-old also gave him credit for her resurgent week, saying: "I respect him a lot and I'm really happy that he joined me this week. He's been helping me, so I'm just so happy that he's been with me here."

In Sunday's final, Anisimova will face Belarusian qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich, who defeated another American in Ann Li, 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-3. The two have never played.

"We don't really focus on who I'm playing, it's normally just on me and how I'm going to be playing that day. I can play really well, so I don't really try to focus on that too much. It's my first final in a really long time so I'm just going to go out there and I'm going to be really excited to play."

Meanwhile, in the men's event, Cressy came through qualifying to break new ground at tour level. In the second round, he saved two match points to defeat No. 2 seed Reilly Opelka, 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(9), and later defeated No. 3 seed Grigor Dimitrov in the semifinals, 7-5, 7-6(9). 

In the final, Cressy will face Rafael Nadal, where the all-time great bids for his 89th ATP title. Regardless of the result in the final, Cressy is assured to make his Top 100 debut next week.