South African tennis professional Kevin Anderson made a stunning comeback in the ATP 250 Newport Open final. After saving two set points in the opening set against ATP main tour debutant Jenson Brooksby, he closed the match 7-6(8), 6-4.
Notably, it was the first ATP title since the Maharashtra Open in January 2019 for Anderson. In his winning speech, the 35-year-old opened up on going through injuries, coming back on Tour, and now looking forward to winning more.
“It’s been a pretty tough run with some injuries. But to be back here at the International Tennis Hall of Fame with such history, this couldn’t be a better week for me to start, hopefully, my comeback,” Anderson said.
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After the Australian Open 2020, the South African had undergone right knee surgery to fix his torn meniscus. Now, he finally seems to have found his footing again on the Tour, also winning his 350th ATP tour-level win.
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Kevin Anderson opens up on his Hall of Fame Open title
The two-time Grand Slam finalist was a wildcard entrant at the Hall of Fame Open. Thus, Anderson feels more confident about his return.
“I’m very motivated to get back. But it all starts with each match, and I was able to really grind it out… Thanks to the tournament for giving me a wild card. It definitely worked out for me,” the South African said.
Furthermore, the current World No. 74 reflected on his glory days in tennis, and the engine isn’t ready to stop just yet.
Kevin said, “The last time I was here was in 2008. It’s significant in a way. I was just starting my career, and I guess I’m towards the end, but definitely [am] very motivated to keep going.”
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Will Anderson play at Tokyo Olympics?
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Last year, the Games got postponed due to the ongoing pandemic crisis. Then, Anderson was recovering from injury, and he withdrew his name from the event. However, he is not even on the revised list of players traveling to Japan.
Therefore, the seventh ATP title owner might work on his US Summer Swing, playing an ATP tournament instead. Because of the strict rules and regulations and no fans, many players have opted to do the same.
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Hopefully, this is only the beginning of a massive comeback from South African. Let’s see what the season has left in stock for Kevin.