American’s double-bagel defeat might just be tennis’s answer to Scott of the Antarctic

Who remembers Roald Amundsen anyway, apart from Antarctic aficionados?

No one!

But Scott of the Antarctic, the magnificent loser? Everyone. The name rolls off the tongue, well over a century after his fine death.

Disappointment: Amanda Anisimova cries after losing the women’s singles final match.Credit: AP

No matter that in a race between Amundsen and Robert Falcon Scott to be the first to the South Pole, Amundsen got there a whole month beforehand – in December 1911 – managed to get all of his men back alive, and actually put on weight because he was so well organised and ate his dogs. No matter that in contrast, Scott died, lost all his men, and was completely and utterly hopeless.

It was the way that he died that captured the public imagination.

All of which is a long-winded way of saying the American, Amanda Anisimova, who before our very eyes just lost the Wimbledon singles final to the Pole Iga Swiatek, 6-0, 6-0, might just be tennis’s answer to Scott of the Antarctic.

Iga Swiatek of Poland plays a backhand against Amanda Anisimova.Credit: Getty Images

On the court on Saturday (Sunday AEST), she was – and I don’t mean this unkindly – completely and utterly hopeless. Seeded 13th for the tournament, and in her first final of a major, she completely froze – yes, again just like Scott – and her entire game went to hell in a handbasket. Just one in three of her first serves went in, and even then, they were mostly returned with sauce by Swiatek who was in the form of her life.

The crowd, which boasted major royalty in the official box – Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova and the Princess of Wales – sat mostly crestfallen as it unfolded. They had come for a contest, and witnessed a train wreck in slo-mo, in real time.

If Anisimova wasn’t hitting the balls into the net, she was hitting them into the front row. She lost the first set 6-0 in just 24 minutes. At one point, Swiatek hit nine winners in a row.

By midway through the second set, the American had lost everything bar the will to live, and even that was debatable.

During breaks the 24-year-old sat on her chair, with her towel over her head. I’m not sure if she was crying, but it looked like it between breaks, as she sometimes threw the towel over her head and heaved – taking either deep breaths, or giving out sobs, but it certainly looked like the latter.

To put this in football terms for you Neanderthals, it was like witnessing an NRL grand final, or a Bledisloe Cup match, where one side is ahead 75-0 with 10 minutes to go. Long gone is the expectation of a comeback – the principal interest is, can the one who is so behind just get a point or two, for the sake of human decency, for mercy’s sake?

The answer in this case was, yes, with Anisimova scoring a couple of points near the end of the second set. In fact, she even took Swiatek to deuce a couple of times, earning thunderous applause for that achievement alone.

Anisimova is well-liked, and her backstory, well known to this passionate tennis crowd, gave the applause an added intensity. In truth, simply reaching the final after her recent turbulent times was extraordinary. This time last year she was ranked 189 in the world.

Amanda Anisimova wipes away tears as she delivers a magnificent speech post-match.Credit: AP

A child prodigy who reached the semi-finals of Roland Garros at just 18, she had since struggled with a series of mental health issues and family problems. But this year had came roaring back – winning again and cutting a swathe through her side of the Wimbledon draw to get to this moment.

Until now ... when it all fell apart. No matter what she did, simply nothing worked, bar the occasional, blistering, cross-court forehand winners. But it was not remotely enough.

When Swiatek hit the final winning shot to end the match, it was a mercy to all. She was Poland’s first Wimbledon winner ever, and climbed up into the stands to be with her family and coaches. Good luck to her – a very worthy champion. Anisimova sat in her chair, put her towel over her head, and sobbed.

When interviewed during the trophy ceremony she sobbed some more. But here was where she was so magnificent, emotional and gracious. She could not have been more congratulatory to Swiatek, saying: “You’re such an incredible player. It obviously showed today. You’ve been such an inspiration to me. An unbelievable athlete. You’ve had such an incredible two weeks here.”

As to the crowd: “Thank you to everyone who’s supported me. It’s been an incredible fortnight for me and even though I ran out of gas today and I wish I could have put in a better performance for you today, you guys still lifted me up, so thank you so much.”

Thunderous applause. We loved her! Such grace, after such a scarring experience.

But now she came to her mother, the woman with the dark glasses, herself heaving in the player’s box.

“My mum who flew in this morning, I definitely would not be standing here, if not for her … My mum has put in more work than I have honestly. My mum is the most selfless person I know.”

She now stopped to compose herself.

“Guys, I’m so sorry,” she finally continued, before addressing her mother directly. “Thank you for being here and breaking the superstition of flying in. It’s definitely not why I lost today ...”

It was the way she said it. Her self-mocking made it all the more poignant.

“I’m so happy I get to share this moment and for you to witness this in person. I know you don’t get to see me live playing that much anymore because you do so much for my sister and I. You always have. I love you so much.”

Honest. She lost the match, hands down, pens down, but was so magnificent in the speech this day will be remembered for that more than anything.

And besides, it’s not as if a hands down drubbing 6-0, 6-0, hasn’t happened at Wimbledon before.

Yup, that was when Dorothea Lambert Chambers defeated Dora Boothby 6-0, 6-0 – back in 1911 –about the time Amundsen planted the Norwegian flag on the South Pole for the first time in history. But you’d forgotten that!

Told yers.

We’ll see what happens from here. To be fair, Swiatek actually looks like she will be here for some time to come, as this is her fifth major victory and she looks like she’s just settling in.

But Amanda Anisimova? My guess is she’ll be going outside and could be for some time. But I really hope she’ll be back.

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