USA TODAY International Edition
Nadal to face ‘very tough’ Anderson
NEW YORK The job of keeping order in the men’s draw at the U.S. Open fell to world No. 1 Rafael Nadal, who kept to his lofty seeded status by paving a path to Sunday’s final.
Nadal, who bypassed 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 in the semifinals, is hoping to capture a 16th Grand Slam trophy, which would be his third in New York (2010 and 2013).
A victory will nudge him closer to Roger Federer’s men’s record of 19 Grand Slam victories, and would be his second trophy in three Grand Slam finals played this season. The Spaniard became the only player — man or woman — to win the same Grand Slam title 10 times in a career when he won the French Open in June.
“Of course, the beginning of the year, have been very positive, but clay court season has been unbelievable, no?” Nadal said. “So that helps a lot for my confidence, to be more calm and, yeah, I am here in the final. Is a great result for me already.
“Now remains the last match against a very tough opponent, and I need to be ready for it,” he added. “Is probably the most important match for me.”
Many might be wondering exactly who is this South African upstart Kevin Anderson he will be facing.
For starters, the 28th-seeded Anderson is not a neophyte at all, and like Nadal is also 31.
The Johannesburg native, who resides in South Florida with his American college sweetheart and wife, Kelsey, has been on the tour since he left the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as a three-time All-American in 2007.
The big-serving 6-8 Anderson won three career titles and has been ranked as high as No. 10 in the world in October 2015.
The last two years, however, have been riddled with many injuries. In 2016, there was an ankle surgery as well as groin, left knee and right shoulder injuries. This season there’s leg and right elbow issues, and a frustrating hip problem.
“It was diagnosed as a labrum tear,” Anderson said of his aching hip. “It’s a tricky injury. After speaking to a lot of people who had similar issues, surgery is always a last resort.”
Ranked No. 32, Anderson is the lowest-ranked player to find himself in a U.S. Open final since rankings were instituted in 1973.
“Definitely amazing feeling being in this position and (I) have worked very hard to get here,” Anderson said. “It feels great to be in the stage I’m in. More important, (I) have given myself a shot at being in the final. I will be playing for a Grand Slam trophy.”
He is the first South African to score a final berth at this tournament since Cliff Drysdale in 1965.
Anderson will be competing for the U.S. Open title as a South African, but he already is a number of years into the process of gaining dual South African-American citizenship. He plans, though, to always play for the country of his birth.