Aggressive Anderson Returns To US Open QF

Kevin Anderson has found a new home at the US Open, blasting into the quarter-finals for the second time in three years.

The 6’8″ South African is flying under the radar as he secured his place in the last eight with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-4 victory over Paolo Lorenzi on Sunday. Anderson needed two hours and 57 minutes to dispatch the Italian veteran, attacking early and often from the baseline behind 54 winners, including 18 aces.

Anderson is surging towards a Top 20 return in the Emirates ATP Rankings after notching a trio of straight-set wins to open the tournament and a rather straightforward victory over Lorenzi. He extended his FedEx ATP Head2Head edge over the World No. 40 to 4-0, having most recently triumphed on the clay of Geneva earlier this year.

One break was all that was needed to capture both the first and second sets on Louis Armstrong Stadium. A forehand winner secured the two-set lead for the South African, but that very stroke let him down in the third set tie-break, as an unforced error pushed wide gave new life to Lorenzi. Anderson would stay the course in the fourth set, despite falling down a break at 3-2. He broke right back and reeled off four of the last five games to prevail after just under three hours.

Anderson is playing arguably the best tennis of his career in recent months, having reached the final in Washington and quarter-finals in Montreal on the heels of a Round of 16 finish at Wimbledon. It was at the All England Club that the 31 year old succumbed to Sam Querrey in five sets and a rematch could be in the cards at Flushing Meadows. Querrey faces Mischa Zverev in Sunday’s night session with a spot opposite Anderson on the line.