MELBOURNE, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- A jaw-dropping performance by American 17-year-old Amanda Anisimova at the Australian Open on Friday has left tennis fans around the world stunned after she knocked out 11th seed Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2.
It's the first time ever that a player born after the year 2000 has made it into the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament in both the men's and women's categories.
Going into the match as a massive underdog against the powerful Belarusian hitter, it came as shock to even the keenest tennis observers when the 17-year-old began blasting shots past Sabalenka, demonstrating her superior fire power.
Especially strong when receiving, Anisimova won 27 points when facing serve, almost twice as much as Sabalenka who only managed 15.
"This is an unreal feeling, I can't believe this is happening right now," Anisimova said after the historic win.
"I was expecting a really tough match, she's a great player, so I really can't believe I got through this round." I'm feeling really good out here, I played some great tennis," she added.
The youngster will now take on the winner of today's third round clash between Petra Kvitova and Belinda Bencic for a place in the quarterfinals of the tournament.
