Fourth Seed Anisimova Powers into Australian Open Last 16 Untroubled

American fourth seed Amanda Anisimova continued her commanding run at the Australian Open 2026 with a dominant 6-1, 6-4 victory over fellow American Peyton Stearns on Saturday, storming into the last 16 and strengthening her credentials as a serious title contender.

Playing under intense heat at Melbourne Park, Anisimova showed composure and authority, wrapping up the match in just 71 minutes at Margaret Court Arena. The 24-year-old barely broke stride despite the sweltering conditions, overwhelming the 68th-ranked Stearns with aggressive baseline play and sharp returning.

Anisimova raced through the opening set, dropping just one game as she dictated rallies and exposed her opponent’s defensive gaps. The second set briefly tested her resolve when Stearns mounted a late comeback, winning three consecutive games after trailing 5-1 and capitalising on a few service wobbles, including Anisimova’s seventh double fault of the match.

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The surge proved short-lived, however, as Anisimova regrouped quickly to close out the contest. Reflecting on the conditions afterward, she described the match as “super-hot” but said she relished the atmosphere, particularly the support from American fans in the stands.

Anisimova has carried strong momentum into Melbourne after a breakthrough 2025 season, where she reached the finals of both Wimbledon and the US Open. She has yet to drop a set in the tournament, having earlier defeated Switzerland’s Simona Waltert and Czech player Katerina Siniakova with similar authority.

The world number four will next face either 13th seed Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic or China’s Wang Xinyu for a place in the quarter-finals, as she looks to convert her imperious form into a maiden Grand Slam title.

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