SA’s Anderson holds his nerve

KEVIN ON TRACK TO MATCH 2013/2014 SHOWINGS Del Potro shows his softer side after opponent’s injury.

South Africa’s Kevin Anderson kept his cool to knock an angry Nick Kyrgios out of the French Open, winning 5-7 6-4 6-1 6-2 to book his spot in the third round of the French Open at Roland Garros yesterday.

The temperamental Australian destroyed two rackets, including one that he smashed six times onto a cooler, and was handed a penalty point at the end of the second set.

The 18th seed has never made it past the third round at the Paris Grand Slam.

Anderson, the world No 56 who reached the fourth round in 2013 and 2014, will next face Kyle Edmund from Great Britain.

Earlier, world No 1 Andy Murray set up a French Open blockbuster against Juan Martin del Potro, the latest chapter in what has developed into an epic rivalry.

Murray, the 2016 runner-up, reached the third round with a bruising 6-7 (3/7), 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (7/3) win over Martin Klizan of Slovakia.

Del Potro, playing in Paris for the first time in five years, went through to the last 32 after Nicolas Almagro retired in tears with a knee injury.

The giant Argentine was immediately hailed for his sportsmanship when he embraced the sobbing, stricken Spaniard.

Out on Suzanne Lenglen court, world No 50 Klizan smashed 57 winners but 67 unforced errors as his all-or-nothing game proved in vain against top seed Murray.

The Scot beat Del Potro in a marathon Olympic final in 2016 before Del Potro, now 30 in the world, gained his revenge with a come-from-behind win in five sets in the Davis Cup semi-final.

Del Potro, no stranger to injury after a career-long battle with wrist problems, made the third round after Spanish opponent Almagro quit in tears during the third set with a left knee injury.

In a moving conclusion on Court Two, Del Potro sat next to a sobbing Almagro, offering him water while trying to to console the heartbroken 31-year-old. Del Potro had also gone to the Spaniard’s aid when he had collapsed at the back of the court, weeping, just moments earlier. – AFP

South African doubles specialist Raven Klaasen and American partner Rajeev Ram lost in the second round, falling to the Czech pairing of Roman Jebavy and Jiri Vesely who earned a 7-5, 6-4 victory.