Davis Cup: South African captain hoping for Kevin Anderson’s comeback

Kevin Anderson has not played a Davis Cup match for his native South Africa since 2011. Marcos Ondruska, captain of the South African team, hopes for a comeback.

Although the new Davis Cup format has met with rejection in many places, it has stimulated the imagination of some players in the tennis circus. Marcos Ondruska, for instance. The former professional, who also played for South Africa in the Davis Cup until 2001, has been captain of the South African team for several years, but has to live with the fact that his top player, Kevin Anderson, has moved his life to the USA. And since 2011 they have refrained from competing for South Africa in the Davis Cup.

But now would be a good time for a comeback, especially since Anderson was twice in the final of the last five Grand Slam tournaments. And because the South Africans are on the verge of a relegation match against Portugal, which may give them a place in the first round of the 2019 Davis Cup World Group.

Anderson provided his services to Team World last weekend at the Laver Cup, but lost the decisive match against Alexander Zverev. Next week, the 32-year-old will compete in the ATP World Tour 500 tournament in Tokyo. Anderson is put there before Marin Cilic and David Goffin at position one.

Kevin Anderson’s last appearance in his native country was more than eight years ago: in 2011 he defeated Ivan Dodig in four sets in the relegation. However, the (short) overall balance is impressive: Anderson lost only one of nine individual matches in the Davis Cup – in 2008 against Jean-Rene Lisnard, who was in Monaco at the time.