John McEnroe says Amanda Anisimova ‘absolutely froze’ after she lost 6-0 6-0 to Iga Swiatek in the women’s Wimbledon final.
Anisimova was bidding to become a Grand Slam champion for the first time but struggled badly in her first major final, failing to win a single game.
Swiatek smelt blood as Anisimova played well below her level and clinched her first Wimbledon title and sixth Grand Slam in under an hour on Centre Court.
Anisimova became the first woman to suffer a double bagel defeat in a Wimbledon final since 1911.
It was also one the shortest Wimbledon finals in the Open Era – with Martina Navratilova’s 6-0 6-3 win over Andrea Jaeger in 1983 still the quickest.
‘Everyone is in a state of shock at what just transpired,’ three-time Wimbledon champion McEnroe said on BBC One.
‘I’ve got to hand it to Swiatek because nobody saw this coming, nobody saw Swiatek being this good on this surface after the struggles she’s had.
‘She played fantastic, it was a fantastic hour against someone who absolutely froze which is really, really hard to watch and I feel terrible for Anisimova. But well deserved for Iga.’
Swiatek has been one of the most successful players on the tour over the past five years, winning six Grand Slam titles.
But the 24-year-old was known as a clay-court specialist, winning four of her majors at the French Open.
She fell short of a fourth successive title at Roland Garros last month but look vastly improved on grass in her early rounds at Wimbledon.
Swiatek lost just one set on her way to the title at SW19, failing to drop a single game against Anisimova and dropping just two in her semi-final win over Belinda Bencic.
‘It seems super surreal,’ Swiatek said after lifting her maiden Wimbledon title.
‘First I want to congratulate Amanda for an amazing two weeks. You should be proud of the work you are doing and I hope we will play more finals here.
‘I didn’t even dream, for me it was way too far. I feel like I am already an experienced player after winning the Slams before but I never expected this one.
‘This year I really, really enjoyed it and feel I improved my form here. I am always going to remember the opening of champagne bottles between serves! It is a sound that will keep me away at night! See you next year.’
Anisimova enjoyed an equally impressive run to the final, beating world number one Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling semi, but she struggled throughout the showpiece event on Centre Court.
The American, who made a total of 28 unforced errors and five double faults, said: ‘Iga is such an incredible player and it obviously showed today.
‘You’ve been such an inspiration to me. You’ve had such an incredible two weeks here. Getting to your first Wimbledon final here and winning is so special. Well done.
‘Thank you to everyone that’s supported me since my first round match here. You guys have carried me through this entire Championships.
‘Even tough I ran out of gas a bit today and I wish I could have put in a better performance for you.
‘It’s been such a privilege to play here and get to this Championship match. I’ll never forget this experience and all of these memories. Thank you to everyone that’s been a part of this.’