Kevin Anderson, South Africa’s top ranked player and world number 32 played the best tennis of his life, Friday night knocking out NextGeneration tennis star Pablo Carreno Busta, to make his first U S Open final.
The 31 year old right handed South African player fought back from a set down to sweep out Busta in four sets 4-6 7-5 6-3 6-4. His strong serve was the key as he played aces after aces, winners after winners overwhelming his teenage opponent.
He now awaits the winner of the second semi-final between World Number one Rafael Nadal and Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro.
Anderson, born in Johannesburg in May 1986 had never gone beyond the fourth round in more than a dozen appearances at Grand Slam events.
He was knocked out at Wimbledon in 2014, 2015 and this year in the fourth round. He also suffered the same fate in Australian Open in 2013-15. It was the same story at Roland Garros, where he could not proceed beyond the fourth round in 2013, 2014 and this year.
He became the top-ranked male South African player on 10 March 2008 after making the final at the 2008 Tennis Channel Open in Las Vegas.
He achieved his career-high ranking of World No. 10 on 12 October 2015. He is the first South African to be ranked in the top 10 since Wayne Ferreira was No. 10 on 5 May 1997.
And now he has achieved what no other African has ever achieved: making the US Open final. (NAN)
