Kevin Anderson paired his usual exceptional serving with a pinpoint return game, allowing him to take control of his Toronto quarterfinal and see off Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-2 in just 64 minutes.
The fourth-seeded South African hit 12 aces to no double faults, winning more than 80 percent of points on his first serve while taking nearly half from Dimitrov’s racket. He converted break point in every game he earned one while facing none of his own.
“I did a great job on my serve, great rhythm, really controlled [it],” Anderson told ESPN on court. “I was able to make a lot of returns … put a lot of pressure from the baseline.”
The defending US Open and Wimbledon finalist had the better of the play from the opening moments, building an 0-30 lead in the opening game, then 0-40 midway through the set. He secured that lead with a Dimitrov double fault an an exceptional forehand of his own, then converted the break with another well-placed groundstroke.
That break put the big-serving world No. 5 firmly in control of the set, and he further confirmed that with a second consecutive break after winning four consecutive points on Dimitrov’s serve. He then briskly served out a set in which he lost seven points on his serve.
The second set proceeded in strikingly similar fashion. The Bulgarian turned in a poor opening service game and sprayed balls wide and into the net, handing Anderson a love break and early lead. Anderson, in turn, remained untroubled on his serve, dropping one point across his next two service games before facing his only deuce game of the match.
Dimitrov, who will seek to defend his Masters title in Cincinnati next week, appeared to momentarily raise his level. But the South African, who had lost the last five meetings between the two, did so as well. He forced two more break points at 2-4, converting the second with a superb inside-out forehand just inside the sideline.
Fittingly, he then closed out his semifinal berth — just his second ever at a Masters event — with another forehand that Dimitrov could barely reach.
“I knew I had to play good tennis to come through,” Anderson added. “That feels good. I’ve had some really close matches with Grigor in the past.”
