Anderson Shows His Experience In Tight Decider
Anderson Shows His Experience In Tight Decider
Kevin Anderson is the top seed this week at the New York Open for only the fifth time in his 12-year career. But on Thursday on Long Island, the South African played like a man used to the pressure that comes with having a No. 1 next to your name.
Mired in a three-set fight against Ernesto Escobedo of the U.S., Anderson didn’t move an millimetre in the decider. He won 94 per cent of his service points in the decider (29/31) and pulled through in the tie-break to advance to the quarter-finals 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5).
It was their first tour-level meeting, but Escobedo, who, at No. 131, is ranked 110 spots lower than No. 11 Anderson, impressed the 2017 US Open finalist with his big hitting.
“He was really going after it. He was serving huge out there. He was ripping balls from the baseline. Sometimes tennis like that just comes down to one or two points,” Anderson said.
The 31-year-old is seeking his second ATP World Tour final of the year (Pune during week one) and his first ATP World Tour title since 2015 Winston-Salem Open. He will next face #NextGenATP American Frances Tiafoe, who made his first ATP World Tour quarter-final by beating Israeli Dudi Sela 6-4, 3-6, 6-0.
Tiafoe also lifted his game in the final set. The 20-year-old from Maryland faced seven break points in the second set, but in the decider, Sela didn’t see one.
“I feel really rejuvenated and am playing some tennis again in a great headspace, which is most important,” Tiafoe said.
Second seed Sam Querrey struck 13 aces and saved all three break points to breeze past Russian Mikhail Youzhny 6-4, 6-3. Querrey will meet another big server in the last eight when he faces Croatian Ivo Karlovic, who hit 16 aces during a 6-4, 6-4 win against sixth seed Ryan Harrison of the U.S.