Not much attention is focused on this week’s US Open tune-ups in Winston-Salem and New Haven, but we’re here to tell you that some sparkling tennis was played.
Kevin Anderson snapped a seven-match losing streak in finals on Saturday when he took out qualifier Pierre-Hugues Herbert, 6-4, 7-5, to claim the Winston-Salem Open title. It was Anderson’s third career title and first since 2012. The South African will rise back to his career-high ranking of No. 14 in the world on Monday and he’ll next head to New York where he’ll face 17-year-old Andrey Rublev in the US Open’s first round.
Anderson took the match and title, but the rising Herbert took hot shot honors on this point, after a rousing ‘tweener and a rambunctious rally that ended when a tired Anderson shoots a forehand wide. Though the Frenchman wasn’t able to parlay his fantastic shot-making into the title, he will crack the ATP’s Top-100 for the first time on Monday after qualifying and then reaching his first career ATP final. Hugues-Herbert had won eight matches consecutively in coming from qualies to reach the final.
Herbert will face Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut in the first round in New York.