Anderson set for first Grand Slam final
Will face mighty Nadal for all the U.S. Open marbles Sunday
NEW YORK — No matter his age, no matter his ranking and results, no matter his injuries, Kevin Anderson kept trying to improve. And now comes the payoff: His first Grand Slam tennis final.
Taking full advantage of a depleted draw, Anderson became the lowest-ranked U.S. Open finalist since computer rankings began in 1973, getting to the title match by beating Pablo Carreno Busta, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4, on Friday.
Anderson was so excited 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.
Said Anderson, a 31-year-old South African: “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. He is ranked 32nd, but was seeded 28th at Flushing Meadows, thanks to withdrawals by several top players, including past champions Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka.
“It’s nice that some of them gave us a bit of a shot,” to make a run in this tournament,” Anderson said.
He only once had been as far as the quarter-finals at a Grand Slam tournament until this week, losing at that stage in New York two years ago. Before that, he had been 0-7 in fourth-rounders at majors.
The six-foot-eight Anderson is a big server, but it was his success returning against the 12thth-seeded Carreno Busta that was the key to this victory. After failing to get a break point in the opening set, Anderson generated 14 the rest of the way — and converted four, which was enough for the biggest victory of his career.
On Sunday, Anderson will play No. 1 Rafael Nadal, who knocked off 24th-seeded Juan Martin del Potro, 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2, in the other semifinal later Friday night.
Anderson has never beaten Nadal, falling to him in the four matches they have gone head to head.
Meanwhile, Nadal has won the U.S. Open twice, in 2010 and ’13.
The Spaniard, one of the greatest tennis players of all-time, owns 15 major titles in total, second only to Federer’s 19.