Height not vital to win in tennis – Anderson

KEVIN Anderson will tower over French Open fourthround opponent Diego Schwartzman today, but he insists the Argentine’s short stature should not be interpreted as a weakness.

World No 7 Anderson, at 2.02m, faces 1.7m Schwartzman, bidding to make the quarterfinals for the first time in Paris.

Anderson, the first South African man to make the US Open final in 52 years when he finished runner-up to Rafael Nadal last year, has a 2-0 record over Schwartzman.

One of those wins came on clay in Nice in 2016.

At this year’s French Open, Anderson has fired 57 aces and been broken just twice, while Schwartzman has just nine aces.

But the Argentine has won all three rounds in straight sets while Anderson needed four to see off Pablo Cuevas and Mischa Zverev.

So, when it comes to their respective statures, Anderson has no time for those in the sport who say that a player has to stand tall to be successful.

“What makes him so good is he’s one of the best returners in the game,” he said.

“He’s one of the best movers in the game. He’s one of the best fighters. He’s a great ball striker from the baseline.”

Schwartzman’s compatriot Gaston Gaudio – at 1.75m – was the last man under 1.8m to win a grand slam, at the 2004 French Open, just a year before the advent of Paris dominance by 1.85m Rafael Nadal.

But Anderson says Schwartzman, on a career-high 11th seeding, should not be written off as a contender.

He is right to be wary as the 25-year-old made the quarterfinals at the US Open and last16 in Australia in January where it took Nadal to stop him in four sets.

“Somebody like Diego, no matter what universe we play tennis in, he’s always going to be really a tough opponent, regardless of your height.”

Schwartzman said: “In all the grand slams it’s very good to be able to reach the second week having won in straight sets. I was able to do it fast, which was also a goal.” – AFP