WHAT HAPPENED: 2020 US Open quarterfinalist Yulia Putintseva earned her second Grand Slam win of the season with a first-round upset of 24th seed Amanda Anisimova on Tuesday in the Grandstand.
The Kazakh eased her way into the match with a steady yet varied baseline game, but took charge after a battling hold brought her to 3-3 in the opening set. That began a run of five straight games.
Anisimova was plagued by 36 unforced errors, including 20 in the opening set, and five double faults. She required a trainer visit in-between sets, during which she had her blood pressure checked.
The American converted on just one of 14 break points in the one-hour, 24-minute contest. Her lone break came in the match's fourth game as she erased an early deficit.
At 3-3 in the second set, Putintseva saved three break points in the midst of a marathon, 18-point game. She followed it up with the set's only break, aided by two double faults and an unforced error. The 27-year-old then closed out the match on serve.
WHAT IT MEANS: Anisimova was handed one of the toughest possible first-round opponents in world No. 38 Putintseva. The latter lived up to her ranking with a consistent performance against the home favorite. The victory is her seventh against a Top 50 player this year, and she improves to 12-20 against seeds at the majors.
Making her 35th Grand Slam appearance, she will next face either Sofia Kenin or Jule Niemeier in the second round, with that first-round matchup set for Court 12.
Anisimova, the 2017 US Open girls' singles champion, won her previous meeting with Putintseva during a run to the Charleston semifinals in April. The American's 33 match wins this season are a career-best, topping her 23 victories in 2019.
MATCH POINT: A 2019 semifinalist at Roland Garros and a quarterfinalist at Wimbledon earlier this year, Anisimova has never been beyond the third round at her home Slam, where her record drops to 3-4.
