The fourth seed, who reached two Grand Slam finals last year, held her nerve in soaring temperatures to defeat Wang 7–6 (7/4), 6–4 on John Cain Arena, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Anisimova will now face Pegula for a place in her first semi-final at Melbourne Park after the sixth seed eliminated defending champion Madison Keys in straight sets. Pegula holds a perfect record against Anisimova, having won all three of their previous meetings.
“I’m feeling great. What a battle out there today,” Anisimova said. “The conditions were tough again, and she’s a really good opponent. I’d never played her before, and she’s playing some great tennis.”
She also welcomed the lively crowd support for Wang. “There were a lot of fans from China today, but it made the atmosphere great. I don’t find it disrespectful at all. They’re just very loud, and it makes the energy really fun.”
Anisimova enjoyed a breakout 2025 season, reaching the finals at Wimbledon and the US Open, where she lost to Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka respectively. Should she overcome Pegula, Swiatek could await in the semi-finals.
The opening set was tightly contested, with neither player able to gain a decisive edge early on. Anisimova earned the first break point at 3–2, but Wang saved it to keep the set on serve. The Chinese player again resisted pressure when Anisimova earned a set point late on, forcing a tiebreak, where the American eventually broke through with powerful groundstrokes.
Momentum shifted more clearly in the second set, which opened with three breaks of serve. Anisimova claimed two of them before Wang took a medical timeout, appearing to indicate discomfort in her groin and returning with heavy strapping on her upper right leg.
Although Wang showed little visible discomfort after the treatment, she was unable to turn the match around. Anisimova stayed composed and sealed the victory with an ace to book her place in the last eight.
