Nadal faces Anderson in bid for 16th Grand Slam
Once Rafael Nadal went from passive to aggressive and got his uppercut of a forehand going, it didn’t take long for him to power into the U.S. Open final.
Closing in on a third title at Flushing Meadows and 16th Grand Slam championship overall, Nadal overcame a soso start with an overwhelming performance the rest of the way Friday night, taking nine games in a row during one stretch to beat 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 in the semifinals.
No. 1 Nadal will be a significant favourite Sunday against No. 32 Kevin Anderson of South Africa, who beat Pablo Carreno Busta 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 to become the lowest-ranked U.S. Open finalist since the ATP’s computer rankings began in 1973.
The six-foot-eight Anderson, who won an NCAA doubles title at the University of Illinois, is equipped with a big serve, certainly, but he had been a quarter-finalist only once at a major until this week. He’s also lost all four previous matches against Nadal.
Plus there’s this: Nadal looked as good as ever over the last three sets against del Potro, further confirmation of his return to the height of his powers. Nadal is again healthy and capable of excellence, after wrist and knee injuries dulled his effectiveness in 2015 and 2016.
“It’s been an amazing season, of course, after a couple of years with some troubles, injuries, tough moments,” Nadal said. “So this year, since the beginning has been a very emotional year.”
He reached the Australian Open final in January, losing to Roger Federer, then claimed his record 10th French Open championship in June.
Save for a less-than-dominant opening set Friday, in which Nadal had nine winners and 10 unforced errors, he barely missed his targets. His numbers the rest of the way: 36 winners, 10 unforced errors.
Hours earlier, Anderson was so excited that he celebrated his semifinal victory as if it made him the champion, stepping on a chair and then a flower box to help him climb into his guest box in the stands.
“I don’t know if it’s appropriate,” Anderson said. “It certainly felt the right thing to do.”
Hip, leg and elbow injuries caused him to miss time this season. Ankle surgery, plus left knee, right shoulder and groin injuries were problems last year.
He is appearing in his 34th major tournament and took advantage of a draw depleted by withdrawals of several top players, including Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka.