Match report

Kevin Anderson © Tennistalk.com
Tennis Channel Open
Semi final
3/8/08 1 2 Tot
za  Kevin Anderson 7 7 6 2
us  Robby Ginepri 6 4 4 0
Robby Ginepri © Tennistalk.com

  • Anderson’s Dream Run Continues at Ginepri’s Expense

    3/9/08 2:30 AM | Ricky Dimon
    Kevin Anderson, virtually unheard of heading into Las Vegas, suddenly finds himself in the final of the Tennis Channel Open after upending Robby Ginepri 7-6(4), 6-4 on Saturday afternoon. He will face either Sam Querrey or Guillermo Canas.

    First Roger Federer failed to win the Australian Open, while Jo-Wilfried Tsonga made it all the way to the final. Then qualifier Kei Nishikori won the title in Delray Beach. Then doubles-specialist Michael Llodra took home his second singles trophy of 2008. Then lucky loser Sergiy Stakhovsky won it all in Zagreb at the same time Steve Darcis prevailed in Memphis. Now Kevin Anderson? The unheralded South African is just one victory away from taking the Tennis Channel Open after defeating Robby Ginepri 7-6(4), 6-4 in the semifinals.

    While Anderson played well in his three matches to get to the semifinals (not to mention the fact that he also had to come through qualifying just to get into the main draw), he also benefitted from the guys on the other side of the net. In the first round Llodra was tired and visibly hobbled from having played so much tennis recently. John Isner’s serve completely failed him in the second round. Finally, in the quarterfinals Evgeny Korolev never found the same rhythm that he enjoyed the previous day against Fernando Gonzalez and the Russian was also dealing with a foot problem.

    On Saturday, however, Anderson played his best match of the tournament and beat Ginepri fair and square. Sure the American played nowhere close to the level he sustained in his three victories this week, but there was not much he could do against the powerful 6’7’’ South African.

    After winning almost exclusively with his serve in the previous rounds, Anderson finally put on a stunning display of brilliant all-court tennis. He moved incredibly well for a big man and consistently went toe-to-toe with Ginepri in grueling baseline rallies.

    The difference in the first set was simply one mini-break in the tiebreaker, which came at 4-4 when Anderson blasted a down-the-line backhand for a winner. Just as he had in the first set, Anderson got down an early break in the second but he quickly stormed back for two breaks of his own, the last of which finished his opponent when Ginepri served to stay in the match at 4-5.

  • Thumbs up

    Anderson is doing all this despite having never won a single ATP match before Las Vegas

  • Thumbs down

    In three straight semifinal appearances, this was Ginepri’s best chance to take home a title, but he let it slip away

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