WASHINGTON – South Africa’s 45th-ranked Kevin Anderson, seeking his first crown in nearly two years, upset American Jack Sock 6-3 6-4 on Saturday to reach the Citi Open final.
The lanky 31-year-old from Johannesburg saved all three break points he faced in the second set with aces in advancing to Sunday’s championship match against Germany’s eighth-ranked Alexander Zverev, who beat Japan’s ninth-ranked Kei Nishikori 6-3 6-4 in the second semi-final.
Anderson seeks his fourth and biggest career ATP title on the Washington hardcourts after Winston-Salem in 2015, Delray Beach in 2012 and Johannesburg in 2011.
“It would mean a lot,” Anderson said. “I’m really excited to be there. I think I can take a lot from this week. It’s a great start to the summer. It will be a terrific opportunity.”
Sock, a champion this year at Auckland and Delray Beach, had not dropped a set all week and had been broken only once, but Anderson changed that in short order.
Anderson broke Sock at love for a 2-0 lead and held serve from there to take the first set, saving a break point in the last game with a service winner.
A clever forehand winner secures @KAndersonATP's place in his first ever @CitiOpen final. #CO17 pic.twitter.com/3XR8KdaXy3
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 5, 2017
Sock double-faulted on the first break point of the second set to hand Anderson a 2-1 edge. Anderson saved two break points in the sixth game with an ace, and denied Sock’s final break chance in the eighth game with the last of his 12 aces.
“Some of my best serves were on break points,” Anderson said. “I’d like to have brought out some of them earlier, but I’ll take them.
“I play my best tennis when my back is against the wall. I’m trying to channel that into my tennis.”
Anderson, who ousted top seed Dominic Thiem in the third round, had not reached a final since his 2015 Winston-Salem title.
Sock ripped the stadium court he played upon all week, saying: “I don’t think I’ll be back at this tournament, probably, in the future. Probably the worst court of the year. Speed, bounces, everything. Pretty shocking. Probably the worst court on the tour.”
The World No 19 was also unhappy about an incorrect line call that forced a replayed point on a break chance.
“It’s pretty frustrating,” Sock said.
Anderson, whose 62 aces this week lead the field, is 0-2 against Zverev. He fell to Zverev in the second round at Washington in 2015.
Meanwhile in the women’s event, Russian seventh seed Ekaterina Makarova outlasted French fifth seed Oceane Dodin 3-6 6-3 6-4 to book a berth in Sunday’s final against German fourth seed Julia Goerges or Germany’s Andrea Petkovic, the 2013 Washington runner-up.
The 58th-ranked left-hander seeks her first title since 2014 at Pattaya City. Makarova’s only other WTA crown came at Eastbourne in 2010.