On one of the hottest days of the tournament so far, Amanda Anisimova advanced to the fourth round of the Australian Open, defeating fellow American Peyton Stearns 6–1, 6–4 on Margaret Court Arena in one hour and 11 minutes.

The meeting brought together momentum and opportunity. Stearns, ranked No. 68 in the world, was playing in the third round at Melbourne Park for the first time in her third Australian Open appearance, while Anisimova arrived in formidable form after reaching back-to-back finals at Wimbledon and the US Open last season.

Anisimova weathered early pressure, saving a break point in the opening game before breaking serve for a 2–0 lead. From there, she took control of the court. Taking the ball on the rise, Anisimova rushed Stearns, robbing her of time and space. A second break pushed her ahead 5–1, and the opening set slipped away quickly as Anisimova’s weight of shot proved overwhelming.

 Photo Credit: AP

In the second set, Stearns steadied her serve and held more consistently. Anisimova moved ahead 5–2, but Stearns fought off a match point and broke serve, narrowing the gap to 5–4. Anisimova finished the match with a crushing forehand winner, booking her place in the round of 16.

Statistically, the match reflected Anisimova’s authority. She struck 14 winners to Stearns’s six, won 76 percent of points behind her first serve, and claimed more than half of the points on return.

After the match, Anisimova—who lives and trains in Miami—spoke about managing the extreme heat.

“Just staying hydrated the day before, the day of is really important. Ice baths,” she said.

“We always try and prepare as best as we can. I think the only difference is really with the water and also on the court using the ice. We don’t really get super long breaks.

“I felt like I was really rushed today trying to just fit everything in on each changeover. It’s just important to keep fueling and also staying calm, to not spend my energy on emotions and stuff like that.”

With her aggressive play and ability to take time away, Anisimova showed once again why she remains one of the most dangerous ball-strikers left in the women’s draw.