Halep, who had to take an extended break from the sport last year while she recovered from a calf injury, looked to be cruising to a comfortable victory on Wednesday, easily wrapping up the first set and moving two breaks up in the second.
But Anisimova hit back with a break of her own and led 0-40 with Halep serving for the match, only for the Romanian to win the next five points in a row, claiming the victory when Anisimova drifted a backhand long.
It means Halep is still yet to drop a set at this year’s tournament and is well-placed to win her third grand slam title and second at Wimbledon.
“Definitely, I’ve played the best tennis (since 2019),” she said in her on-court interview. “I struggled a lot last year and now I’m just trying to build my confidence back.
“(My) tennis is here, so I just have to believe. I’ve started to do that and it feels good.”
