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Anderson, monfils through to fourth round

By Jacob Akindele
07 July 2018   |   2:54 am
In the first set, Anderson secured a break of serve in the eighth game and consolidated to take the set 6-3 in 30 minutes. The second was amazing exhibition of serving power with each player held serve routinely.

South Africa’s Kevin Anderson returns the ball to Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic during their ATP Madrid Open quarter-final tennis match at the Caja Magica in Madrid on May 11, 2018. OSCAR DEL POZO / AFP

Kevin Anderson of South Africa powered his way to a 6/3; 7/5; 7/5 victory over talented German Phillip Kohlschreiber, while Gael Monfils of France outlasted the eleventh seed, American Sam Querrey, 5/7; 6/4; 6/4; 6/2 in two hours and eight minutes.

In the first set, Anderson secured a break of serve in the eighth game and consolidated to take the set 6-3 in 30 minutes. The second was amazing exhibition of serving power with each player held serve routinely. Anderson delivered aces on critical points, as when he cancelled the only break point he faced at 30-40 in the fifth game. It was Kohlschreiber who conceded the break in the eleventh game enabling Anderson take the set 7-5.

The third set was a parade of quick games and only it was in the third game that the score got to was taken to deuce on the German’s serve which he held. He also survived a break in the fifth game.

In the 11th game, Kohlschreiber was behind 15-40 on his serve. He saved a break point but yielded the game. Serving for the match, Anderson lost the first point for 0-15 but hammered serves at speeds of 129, 131 and 133 mph successively to clinch the game and match after two hours and seven minutes.

Anderson delivered 22 aces to his opponent’s five while both players had few double-faults. At the end of the battle, Kevin had amassed 105 points while Phillip totaled 80 points. The South African star became the second player from the continent of Africa to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon, after the historic run of Nigeria’s Nduka Odizor in 1985 before losing to John McEnroe in the last 16.

In the ladies event, Evgeniya Rodina of Russia achieved an upset over fourth-seeded Madison Keys, 7/5; 5/7; 6/4. Rodina broke the American’s serve early in the third set to lead 2-1. Madison fought back to level at 4-all but conceded the ninth game. The 29-year-old Russian, ranked 120, served out the match.

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