NEW YORK :For the second consecutive Grand Slam, Amanda Anisimova found herself tantalisingly close to etching her name into the tennis history books – only to watch it slip away in straight sets.

The 24-year-old American's 6-3 7-6(3) loss to world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the U.S. Open final on Saturday marked another painful chapter in a story of near-misses on the sport's biggest stages.

After falling short at Wimbledon earlier this year, Anisimova again struggled to find her best in the pressure cooker of a major final.

"I feel like with finals I have a lot of nerves, and it's something I'm trying to work on," Anisimova admitted in her post-match press conference.

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