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“Job Is Not Done”: Kevin Anderson Stuns Daniil Medvedev at ATP Vienna Quarterfinals

Published 10/30/2020, 11:27 AM EDT

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Daniil Medvedev and Kevin Anderson locked horns in their first-ever ATP meeting at the Vienna Open quarterfinals. In what many projected to be a quite straightforward fixture for Medvedev in his title pursuit, Anderson defied his doubters and sent home the Russian in straight sets (6-4, 7-6).

”I am very, very pleased. I have waited a long time to play a match like this. It was very high-quality and I knew I had to play very well against Daniil to get through,” Anderson said after the match. 

This surprisingly was the first professional H2H meeting between the pair, and Anderson drew blood in Austria. Both players did not compete in the tournament last year due to different reasons but entered the draw in 2020 due to the lack of ATP events. 

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”I love playing here,” said Anderson. “I have good memories from playing a couple of years ago — I was very disappointed not to be able to come back last year, but I am happy to be back here playing great tennis and I am really looking forward to my match tomorrow.”

Kevin Anderson is confident of his chances at ATP Vienna this year

Anderson’s match against Medvedev began on equal footing with both athletes holding strong with their service games. The games went back and forth and either athlete didn’t look like giving in. But one successful break point conversion in the first set was enough for Anderson to break free and take advantage. 

The South African displayed an 8-8 win-loss record before this match. He posted nine aces against Medvedev to cruise to his ninth victory in 2020. Furthermore, his impressive straight-set victory against Pablo Carreno Busta in the second round might have given Anderson a major boost to upset the fourth-seeded Medvedev. 

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”Right from the beginning, I felt very good about my game and obviously [I knew] it was going to be tough,” said Anderson. “I couldn’t be happier right now to be through to the semi-finals.”

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Kevin Anderson is a dominant server and his 6’8” height helps him get the power that he needs. The 34-year-old displayed a healthy first serve percentage against Medvedev and won 83% of the points with the same. Anderson has now notched up 41 aces in his three matches at ATP Vienna. 

“Obviously, the job is not done but I just want to take a moment to appreciate the work that has gone in for me to play a match like this,” Anderson added. 

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Both Medvedev and Anderson are yet to win a title in 2020 and the wait still continues. Anderson will now move on in the draw and is likely to meet local hero Dominic Thiem in the semis.

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Written by:

Arjun Athreya

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Arjun Athreya is a senior writer at Essentially Sports and has been contributing since early 2020. Having developed an avid interest in sports at an early age, he pursued a Journalism degree and graduated from Madras Christian College. Arjun manages the Golf division and its content, and primarily covers news pertaining to the NBA as well.
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