Anderson fightback causes shockwaves around Wimbledon
LONDON: Kevin Anderson, produced an astonishing fightback from two sets down to beat eight-time champion Roger Federer 2-6, 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-4, 13-11 in a quarter-final cliffhanger at Wimbledon yesterday.
The big South African’s hopes looked forlorn as Federer skipped through the opening two sets on Court One with his usual panache, but he turned the match on its head to cause the biggest shock yet in a tournament full of upsets.
It was Anderson’s first win against Swiss maestro Federer at the fifth attempt and means he is the first player representing South Africa to reach the semifinals here since Kevin Curren in 1983.
Eighth seed Anderson, 32, saved a match-point in the 10th game of the third set and grew in confidence against an increasingly ragged Federer, the top seed who had won the first set in just 26 minutes.
The South African won the third set to snap Federer’s 34-set winning streak at Wimbledon and Federer was clearly shaken as Anderson dominated the fourth set to drag the 20-time Grand Slam champion into a decider.
Six times Anderson was required to hold serve to stay alive and each time he was equal to the task.
Federer eventually cracked at 11-11, double-faulting to hand Anderson a break-point which he converted when the defending champion hit a weary-looking forehand halfway up the net.
Anderson stayed cool and sealed victory on his first match-point with a powerful first serve which Federer could only return into the tramlines.
Meanwhile, three-time champion Novak Djokovic won through to the semifinals for the eighth time yesterday, and his first since 2015, with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 defeat of Japan’s Kei Nishikori.
The 12th-seeded Serbian was warned by umpire Carlos Ramos for bouncing his racquet off the baseline early in the second set, with words exchanged at the change of ends as his frustration began to show.
Nishikori, the 24th seed who saved three break-points to hold serve at 2-1 in the second set, promptly broke and then held to go 4-1 up.
The Japanese, playing former world number one Djokovic on grass for the first time and seeking to end a 12-match losing streak against the Serb, held serve in the third set to 3-2 before running out of steam to go 4-2 down against an opponent in merciless form.
With Nishikori serving to stay in the match, Djokovic wrapped things up after two and a half hours on Centre Court on the first match-point. - Reuters SPRINGBOK Sevens coach Neil Powell is confident his team will be a very competitive at the Rugby World Cup Sevens if they just “play to their strengths and within their game plan”.
The Sevens spectacle will be played from July 20 in San Francisco and Powell has named an experienced squad for the three-day event.
The Blitzboks, who have never won the Melrose Cup, are the top seeds and all 12 players in the squad were involved in the last World Series, which the Blitzboks defended successfully.
Only skipper Philip Snyman, however, has experience of playing at the World Cup Sevens (Dubai 2009 and Moscow 2013), and he will also become the first Blitzbok to play in three RWC Sevens tournaments.
The rest of the squad consists of Blitzbok regulars and will see a return from injury for Rosko Specman and Selvyn Davids. Kyle Brown, Cecil Afrika, Chris Dry, Seabelo Senatla, Tim Agaba and Stedman Gans were all ruled out due to injury, while Kwagga Smith and Sikhumbuzo Notshe were not considered because of Super Rugby duties.
“We do not have the greatest of records in this tournament, but we know we will be a very competitive team if we play to our strengths and within our game plan,” Powell said.
“It is exciting times for all of us and we are ready to do our best for our country.”
Springbok Women’s Sevens coach Paul Delport has included four uncapped players for the third edition of the World Cup Women’s Sevens.
Zenay Jordaan and Mathrin Simmers are the only players who have played in a World Cup Sevens. Jordaan, who will play in her third, has also featured in two World Cups in Fifteens and has been named in a playmaking role for the event, while Simmers represented the Springbok Women’s Sevens at the 2013 tournament in Moscow
“This is the best squad we could pick,” Delport said.
“We take on a highly regarded and capable team in women’s Sevens, but the one thing we are not going to do is to accept any result without us having a say in that.
“We are not the favourites against Russia and accept the underdog tag. We can only ask to be judged on our effort next Friday and I believe I have a group that will leave nothing out there on the field,” Delport added.