IndianWells

Amanda Anisimova wins Eisenhower Cup.

The tenth edition of Tie Break Tens was held Tuesday with Amanda Anisimova claiming the title over Maria Sakkari in the Eisenhower Cup, a Tie Break Tens Event at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden’s Stadium 2. Held on International Women’s Day, the female field was complemented by women in on-court
roles for the event, including the stadium DJ (DJ Lady Kate) as well as the umpire and ball persons for the matches.

The final match was the closest of the evening. The 20-year-old Anisimova donated the first point with a double fault but bounced back by winning five straight points to hand Sakkari her first deficit of the evening. The American then held on before closing out the match 10-7 with a service winner. Anisimova was a late addition to the field Tuesday following the withdrawal of Barbora Krejcikova due to an elbow injury.

“I really enjoyed this event. It was very fun,” Anisimova said. “Personally, I don’t like playing very long, so this was perfect for me. I would definitely do this again.”

In the semi-finals, Sakkari raced ahead by winning six of the first seven points against Aryna Sabalenka before prevailing 10-5. In the second semi-final, Anisimova stayed just ahead of Paula Badosa throughout to secure a 10-6 victory.

In the opening quarter-final, Sabalenka fought off a comeback effort from 2017 Madrid Tie Break Tens champion Simona Halep for a 10-7 win. Sakkari won the final five points of her first match to defeat Ons Jabeur 10-6. Badosa roared to a 10-3 win over Leylah Fernandez, the only left-handed player in the field. Anisimova dropped the first two points of her quarter-final before racing to a 10-3 win over Naomi Osaka.

Fans can participate in their own tie break competition with Tennis Arena, the official mobile game partner of Tie Break Tens. Available on the App Store and Google Play, it allows players to compete in tie-breaks virtually via their mobile phones and handheld devices.

With a winner-take-all purse of $150,000 going to Anisimova, there has now been approximately $2 million in prize money awarded over the 10 Tie Break Tens events.

This marked the second Tie Break Tens event at Indian Wells, following a men’s edition in 2019 that was won by Milos Raonic. It was the third event held in the United States, with the first staged at New York’s Madison Square Garden in 2018. This was the fourth time Tie Break Tens featured a women’s field and the 10th Tie Break Tens event held since its 2015 debut at London’s Royal Albert Hall.