Playing for the first time since the Miami Masters due to an elbow injury, Kevin Anderson returned in style with a 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 victory over Cameron Norrie in round one of the Fever-Tree Championships on Monday afternoon. Anderson needed two hours and 21 minutes to advance.
“It was really difficult, but at the same time it was decision I knew I had to make,” the 6’8” South African said of skipping the clay-court swing. “It was something I needed to do. The good thing about the elbow is it’s just been affecting me on the serve. I’ve been able to train a lot an work on other parts of my game.”
But Anderson’s serve showed no signs of rust during his comeback match. The No. 2 seed at Queen’s Club cracked 19 aces compared to only two double-faults and he held 15 of 16 service games. After getting broken early in the first, he he was flawless on serve the entire rest of the way.
Anderson is joined in the last 16 by Marin Cilic, Daniil Medvedev, Diego Schwartzman, and Nicolas Mahut.
Medvedev got things started on Centre Court when he ended a five-match losing streak with a 6-2, 6-4 rout of Fernando Verdasco. Cilic, the defending champion, followed with 6-1, 7-6(5) win over Christian Garin.
On Court 1, Diego Schwartzman picked up the second grass-court win of his career by beating Alexander Bublik 6-2, 6-3. Schwartzman had previously been 1-8 lifetime on the slick stuff. Former Queen’s Club runner-up Nicolas Mahut had to qualified just to get into the main draw and he maintained his fine form with a 6-3, 7-6(5) defeat of Frances Tiafoe.
nice one, Kando
Glad to see Kando back and serving well. Really nice guy.
Hope he goes far