Anderson leaps into the top 10
NEW YORK OPEN: KEVIN SECURES FOURTH CAREER TITLE
South African star sets his sights on ATP Tour finals in London.
Though he stole a moment to enjoy his latest achievement, tennis ace Kevin Anderson said he was hoping to go bigger and better after climbing to a career-high ranking at the weekend.
Anderson rose two spots, settling in ninth place in the men’s singles rankings after winning the inaugural New York Open.
The big-serving South African, who entered the ATP 250 series tournament as the top seed, fought back from a set down to beat American Sam Querrey 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 in the final on Sunday.
On his run to the trophy decider, he also defeated former world No 4 Kei Nishikori of Japan in the semifinals.
“It gives me a lot of confidence for the year,” Anderson told the tournament website.
The lanky 31-year-old lifted the fourth ATP crown of his career, receiving an abstract painting and R1.4 million in prize money for his efforts.
It was his second appearance in a final this season, after going down to French player Gilles Simon at the last hurdle of the Maharashtra Open in Pune last month.
“I have been runner-up quite a few times in my career,” Anderson said.
“One of my big goals that I had for this year was to try to be a bit more successful at that final stage.
“I fell a little short earlier this year in India, and it feels great to come through and get the win.”
His celebrations did not last long, however, as he continued chasing his main target of the year, eager to reach the season-ending ATP Tour finals in London in November.
“To be honest with you, I have set my sights a little bit higher, and making London is one of my biggest goals,” Anderson said.
“But any time you reach career milestones, it feels great, so I definitely can enjoy that for now before I have to reset and step on to the court again.”