South African Kevin Anderson reached his first Grand Slam semifinal after beating No. 17 Sam Querrey, 7-6(5), 6-7(9), 6-3, 7-6(7), Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the US Open. With the win, the 31-year-old Anderson became the first South African to make it to a Grand Slam semifinal since Wayne Ferreira reached the last four in the 2003 Australian Open. He is also the first South African to advance to the semifinal of the US Open since Cliff Drysdale in 1965. “It was an incredible match,” Anderson said after beating Querrey after three hours and 32 minutes of play.
“Matches like that, you sort of focus on getting through right there and then and look at the bigger picture afterward.” Anderson will next take on No.12 seed Pablo Carreno Busta, a 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 winner over Argentine Diego Schwartzman.
Anderson hit 67 winners compared to 44 by Querrey. The South African also edged the American in aces (22-20) and first-serve rate (67 percent to 55 percent). Querrey’s loss left the United States without any semi finalist in the men’s side of the tournament. The American also failed to surpass his career-best quarterfinal finish at the US Open. “He's tough to play against. He's so overly aggressive," Querrey said of Anderson. “A lot of his balls were landing in.
It's just tough.”
Carreno Busta defeated Schwartzman
Carreno Busta tallied 30 winners and seven aces as he defeated Schwartzman in one hour and 59 minutes of battle to reach his first semifinal at a major event. “It is something that I always dreamed of but never think I would ever be here," Carreno Busta said. Schwartzman, for his part, tallied 35 unforced errors against just 21 winners.
On Wednesday, world No. 1 Rafael Nadal will clash with Russian teenager Andrey Rublev while third seed Roger Federer faces No. 24 Juan Martin del Potro. The winners of these matches will collide for a spot in the finals.
Venus Williams, Stephens reach semifinals
Ninth seed Venus Williams barged into the semifinal after a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (2) triumph over No 13 Petra Kvitova in two hours and 35 minutes of play.
This marked Williams’ third Grand Slam semifinal of the year, after making it to the last four of the Australian Open and Wimbledon. Williams reached the final of both Grand Slam events but lost to her sister Serena at the Australian Open and Garbine Muguruza at Wimbledon. Williams, a former world No. 1, will play fellow American Sloane Stephens, who defeated Anastasija Sevastova, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (4), in two hours and 29 minutes. The win was the biggest of Stephens’ career, and it came two months after she returned to the WTA Tour after a major foot injury.
