Anderson win lifts South African tennis

Football, rugby and cricket dominate the sport scene in the republic, taking most of the sponsorship money and the media space. After defeating American Sam Querrey in the quarter- finals at Flushing Meadows, Anderson made the main sport page of many dailies. 

“It was a pleasant if unusual sight,” Tennis South Africa (TSA) chief executive Richard Glover said in Johannesburg. “South Africans are used to seeing the back pages dominated by the ‘big three’ of football, rugby and cricket so it was nice to have positive tennis publicity.” 

Glover hailed 31-year-old Florida-based Anderson for reaching the last four of a Grand Slam championship for the first time, saying that when it comes to publicity “nothing beats on-court success”. 

Johannesburg-born Anderson is the first South African to make the last four of a Grand Slam event since Wayne Ferreira at the 2003 Australian Open in Melbourne. “My phone almost exploded after Kevin won his quarter- final,” chuckled Glover, who joined the national tennis body last year.” 

Grand Slam semi-finals are uncharted territory for Anderson, who reached the last eight in New York two years ago but has never advanced beyond the fourth round at Melbourne, Roland Garros or  Wimbledon.