Kevin vows to avenge heartache
KEVIN: I BELIEVE I HAVE THE GAME TO WIN GRAND SLAM
South Africa’s Kevin Anderson vowed to use the pain of his Wimbledon final defeat as fuel to finally win a Grand Slam title. Riddled by nerves and plagued by fatigue, Anderson slumped to a 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (7/3) loss against Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s showpiece.
It was a bitter pill for Anderson to swallow after he spent six hours and 36 minutes battling to see off John Isner in a last four clash that ranked as the second longest singles match in Grand Slam history.
After losing last year’s US Open final against Rafael Nadal in straight sets, the 32-year-old could be forgiven for fearing he would never win a Slam in an era dominated by the Spaniard, Djokovic and Roger Federer.
But, having stunned Federer in the quarterfinals with a fightback from two sets down, Anderson is adamant his run to a first Wimbledon final proves he is getting closer to Grand Slam glory.
“The main thing is if I look at the improvements I’m making, I feel it’s getting better. I believe I have the game to win these tournaments,” the Johannesburg-born Anderson said.
“If you asked me this time a year ago, I don’t think I could sit here and say I really believed that I could win a Grand Slam.
“I feel like I’m on a great path. I have a lot of belief I can put myself into another one of these matches, and hopefully have the result I’m looking for.”
Anderson rose to a career-high fifth in the ATP rankings yesterday, capping a late-career surge that seemed impossible when he was ravaged by injuries two years ago.
The first South African to reach the Wimbledon singles final since Kevin Curren who achieved the feat under the American banner in 1985, Anderson admitted he was wracked with anxiety and exhaustion as Djokovic swept through the first two sets.
He improved in the third set, but it was too late to halt Djokovic’s charge to a fourth Wimbledon title.