Iva Jovic kept her surge on grass rolling Friday in London, beating No. 2 seed Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 to reach the HSBC Championships semifinals. The 18-year-old, seeded No. 6, claimed the first Top 5 victory of her career and moved one step deeper into a season that has already pushed her into the Top 20.
For Jovic, the win was not just about the scoreline. It was another sign that her game is settling quickly on grass, the surface where she said she feels more confident with every match and is simply trying to keep stacking them up. That approach has carried her through a rapid climb that began with the 2024 Wimbledon girls' doubles title alongside Tyra Caterina Grant, then continued when she won the Ilkley WTA 125 title last year, broke into the Top 100 for the first time and qualified for the Wimbledon main draw.
The quarterfinal itself showed why this result mattered. Anisimova produced 29 winners to Jovic's 17, but the American's 39 unforced errors gave Jovic the opening she needed to stay in control of the match. Jovic had practiced with Anisimova before but had never faced her in competition, and she said she had to accept that grass would not offer much rhythm, especially against a player who goes big early in points. She responded by changing direction early and trying to be as aggressive as possible.
That judgment proved decisive after Jovic lost the second set and let Anisimova level the match. She said she had to reset quickly, and she did, finding enough composure to close out the third set and finish the upset. It was her first career Top 50 win and the latest proof that the rise that included a maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal at the Australian Open and four tour-level semifinals is still moving fast.
What comes next may be even more familiar ground for the teenager. Jovic will face either Emma Raducanu or Kamilla Rakhimova in the semifinals, with Raducanu having beaten Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 6-2 and Rakhimova outlasting Harriet Dart 5-7 in 2 hours and 51 minutes. However that draw shakes out, Jovic has already shown she is no longer just breaking through on grass; she is starting to live there.
