Amanda Anisimova reacts after her upset win in the U.S. Open quarterfinals Wednesday in New York. (AP photo)

NEW YORK (AP) — Amanda Anisimova upset Iga Swiatek 6-4, 6-3 in the U.S. Open quarterfinals Wednesday, less than two months after losing to the six-time Grand Slam champion in the Wimbledon final by a 6-0, 6-0 score.

The No. 8-seeded Anisimova reached her third major semifinal and first at Flushing Meadows.

“To come back from Wimbledon like that is really special to me,” said Anisimova, a 24-year-old who was born in New Jersey and grew up in Florida. “I feel like I worked so hard to try and turn around from that. … Today is really special.”

The powerful strokes and poise she displayed in Arthur Ashe Stadium against No. 2 Swiatek — the 2022 U.S. Open champion — were such a striking contrast to what happened at the All England Club’s Centre Court on July 12.

That title match lasted just 57 minutes, and Anisimova only managed to win 24 points that day, a total she eclipsed about midway through the first set this time.

“Everybody knows how Amanda can play. Yeah, she didn’t play well in Wimbledon,” said Swiatek, a 24-year-old from Poland, “but it’s not like she’s always going to do the same mistakes or feel the same.”

Anisimova cried during her runner-up speech during the trophy ceremony at Wimbledon; on Wednesday, she was all smiles while addressing thousands of supportive spectators who kept interrupting her on-court interview with cheers.

“Playing here is so freaking special,” Anisimova told them, “and I’ve been having the run of my life here.”

On Thursday, Anisimova will try to reach a second consecutive major final. She’ll face four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka — who eliminated Coco Gauff on Monday — after the No. 23 seed beat No. 11 Karolina Muchova 6-4, 7-6 (3).

After one game against Swiatek in the quarterfinals Wednesday, Anisimova might have been forgiven for thinking, “Oh, no. Not this again.”

That’s because Anisimova served first and got broken immediately when she lost three points in a row by missing forehands — one into the net, one wide, one long.

But Anisimova broke right back and soon was the one dictating points with her strong, flat groundstrokes that wound up contributing to 23 total winners, 10 more than Swiatek accumulated. Anisimova also played quite cleanly, making just 12 unforced errors.

“She moved better, she played better,” Swiatek said, comparing this match to the one at Wimbledon. “Everything was different.”

Swiatek’s serve was problematic: She only put in 50% of her first serves and was broken four times.

“I couldn’t win today’s match playing like that, serving like that,” Swiatek said, “and with Amanda being so aggressive on the returns.”

In the second set, Anisimova fell behind early again, this time 2-0. But she again regrouped and quickly gained the upper hand. Swiatek was the one looking increasingly frustrated, shaking her head or slumping her shoulders between points, spreading her arms wide and looking to her coach for advice, and leaning back in her changeover chair as if pondering what, exactly, she could do differently.

When Swiatek double-faulted to trail 5-3 in the second set, that allowed Anisimova to serve out the victory.

“From the get-go, I was trying to fire myself up,” Anisimova said. “She is one of the toughest players I’ve ever played. I knew I was going to have to dig deep.”

AUGER-ALIASSIME WINS

Felix Auger-Aliassime got past Alex de Minaur 4-6, 7-6 (7), 7-5, 7-6 (4) across 4 hours, 10 minutes to reach his second Grand Slam semifinal — and second at Flushing Meadows.

The No. 25-seeded Auger-Aliassime’s only other trip to the final four at a major came in New York in 2021 at age 21.

“Four years ago. It feels like more,” said Auger-Aliassime, who advanced back then when Carlos Alcaraz stopped playing in the quarterfinals with an injured leg muscle. “It was a tough couple of years.”

What else happened at the US Open on Wednesday?

Sinner beat No. 10 Lorenzo Musetti 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 in the first all-Italian matchup in a men’s major quarterfinal. He is into his fifth straight Grand Slam semifinal. In the women’s quarterfinals, four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka beat Karolina Muchova 6-4, 7-6 (3) at night to remain unbeaten when she reaches the quarterfinal stage of a major tournament.

Who plays at the US Open on Thursday?

The women’s semifinals are scheduled at night, including defending champion Aryna Sabalenka against Jessica Pegula. That’s a repeat from the final at Flushing Meadows last year, when Sabalenka was a 7-5, 7-5 winner

Auger-Aliassime, who is Canadian, will meet No. 1 Jannik Sinner on Friday for a berth in the championship match. No. 2 Alcaraz faces No. 7 Novak Djokovic in the other semifinal.

“It’s not over. There’s still some tennis to play and the biggest challenges are yet to come,” Auger-Aliassime said. “That’s what I live for. That’s what I train for.”