Kevin Anderson is the third quarter finalist in the ATP World Tour 500 tournament at the Vienna Stadthalle. After winning the first set, the South African benefited from the abandonment of his opponent Borna Coric.
By Jens Huiber from the Wiener Stadthalle
The Viennese audience had to take a deep breath after the first two quarter finals at the Erste Bank Open 500 in Vienna. First, the amazing Mikhail Kukushkin had continued his march through the tableau, organising his first semi-final appearance at an event of this category after a 3-19 hour game against Marton Fucsovics.
Then followed the even more amazing Kei Nishikori, who not only dampened the mood in the hall on Austrian National Day, but also by Dominic Thiem. Nishikori cleaned the lines with his balls, Thiem allowed a short, too short comeback.
Borna Coric and Kevin Anderson had to bring themselves and the audience back to operating temperature, the South African usually manages this a little faster than his opponents. When the serve fits. Coric is more likely to come through the longer rallies, which basically worked very well in the third quarter-final of the day. Until the twelfth game of the first movement. Then the Croatian allowed his opponent three set balls, Anderson did not know how to use any.
What didn’t bother the number two of the tournament, Anderson not only won the tiebreak with 7:2, but also the second set with the full result of 2:1. Then Coric, who was already treated at his foot in the middle of the first run, had to end the match prematurely.
Coric’s chances of a place at the ATP finals in London have thus finally been eliminated, and the premise could hardly have been fulfilled anyway: Victory in Vienna. And next week at the last ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Paris.
There Anderson can play almost untroubled, the Wimbledon finalist should have his place in London at the ATP Finals sure.
It still looks good for Dominic Thiem, even though Kei Nishikori will move closer to the Austrian. Not unimportant is the condition of Juan Martin del Potro, a surprise comeback of the Argentinian after the hairline crack in the kneecap would affect Thiem. The 25-year-old showed great pragmatism at his press conference after the match against Nishikori. “If I’m one of the top eight players, I deserve it,” says Thiem. “And if I don’t, I won’t.”
Here the single tableau in Vienna