Kevin Anderson is South African again after dumping Andy Murray out of US Open

When Kevin Anderson pushed Novak Djokovic to the edge at Wimbledon, some might have thought it couldn't get better than that. But it has. The big-serving South African dumped Andy Murray out of the US Open on Monday night in a feisty encounter which lasted more than four hours.

Anderson won 7-6, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, with Murray getting quite edgy on more than one occasion. While Murray was mouthing off, not only to himself but also to the umpire, Anderson kept his cool. It was one of those days when everything the South African tried worked. Every risky shot went his way and every powerful serve landed where he wanted it to. The 29-year-old described it as the "best match of [his] life".

“I’m just so excited to be through,” said Anderson. “Beating a guy like Andy, I really feel like I’ve taken a step forward. It’s amazing. I feel like it’s a great accomplishment.”

Anderson and Murray’s epic duel was not without its tense moments, though. Eight times in his career, Murray has come back from two sets down and when he claimed the third set, it looked as if there could be yet another comeback on the cards. At Wimbledon this year, Murray came from two sets down against eventual winner Djokovic before losing the decider and Anderson admitted that it had played on his mind.

“That was definitely on my mind quite a bit. It was important for me going into the match, thinking back to Wimbledon, the way I played there. That's how I wanted to play again today. Once I was up two sets to love, I think it was important not to think about it. I was just really happy with the way I stuck the course, especially in the fourth set,” he said.

Anderson is the first South African since Wayne Ferreira in 1992 to reach the final eight of the tournament. But here’s the thing: some South Africans do not consider him to be South African. Time after time, Anderson has made Saffa tempers flare because he does not want to play for South Africa in the Davis Cup.

The answer about “why not” is quite simple: funding. Since turning pro in 2007 and even before that, Anderson had no backing from the South African federation. Last year, Anderson and his wife spent roughly $90,000 on airfare and a further $3,000 a week on hotel rooms. His participation in tournaments depend entirely on his results and with the Davis Cup adding a risk of injury and taking time out of his competitive (wage-earning) time, Anderson simply cannot afford to mess around with matches that could put his earning potential at risk. He still plays with RSA next to his name, though, and despite spending the bulk of his time in the US, he has always maintained that he remains a South African.

But South Africans love a winner and with Anderson rising to number 14 in the rankings this year, more than a few have warmed to him and accepted him as a South African once more, however foolish that might be. Still, his run this year has seen him win the Winston-Salem Open in the build-up to the US Open, finish runner-up at Queens and runner-up at the US National Indoor championship.

With a number of tennis’ big names eliminated from the US Open, Anderson has a chance to make a big impression in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. He will face Stan Wawrinka, a player he has beaten in their last four clashes, but that does not mean he is taking his opposition lightly.

“I think especially in the last few years, Stan has really put himself up there as one of the main contenders for slams,” Anderson said.

“I really feel he's playing some of his best tennis. To win two slams in the last year and a half is obviously a testament to that. He knows what it takes.”

It’s been two months since Anderson took Djokovic to five sets and Wimbledon and he hopes playing more often will help him edge into the top 10 or, at a push, top five of world tennis.

“That's how I approach my tennis. Obviously I want to get to that stage. 'Top 10 has been a lifelong dream for me. I feel like I'm getting closer – even top five, I think that's ultimately where I want to be. So we try to structure and think that way. Obviously it's a lot of tennis and a lot of wins to get there. But I feel like I've definitely been on a good run and I'm giving myself the best opportunity to get there,” the big-serving South African said.

Despite a few South Africans' reluctance to embrace him as one of their own and the time difference, Anderson said he was overwhelmed with the support he received from all over the world.

“I turned my phone onto flight mode before. It's interesting. I think my phone kind of froze. I got so many messages. It was awesome to see all the support and actually amazing to see how many people were watching the match,” he said.

Davis Cup player or not, Anderson is putting South African tennis on the map once again. Who knows, perhaps with a steady run, a little bit more investment might start flowing South African tennis’s way. DM

Photo: Kevin Anderson of South Africa reacts after defeating Andy Murray of Britain in their fourth round match at the US Open Championships tennis tournament in New York, 7 September 2015. (REUTERS/Adrees Latif)