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| Kevin Anderson © Gallo Images |
It's been an upturn for South African number one tennis player Kevin Anderson in the Lyon Grand Prix tournament - but fellow-Davis Cup member Wesley Moodie's stunning run of successes in doubles on
the ATP circuit this year received a rude setback at the same time.
After gaining a place in the main draw in the French tournament
via the gruelling qualifying rounds, the 123rd-ranked Anderson on
Tuesday beat Germany's 58th-ranked Simon Gruel 6-4 4-6 7-6 (3) in
the first round in what was only his second win in seven matches on
the ATP's premier circuit this year.
And doubly pleasing for the big-serving, 6ft 6in South African,
who aroused heated controversy when he failed to make himself
available for the crucial World Group Davis Cup playoff, which
South Africa lost against India at Ellis Park last month, was the
fact that he beat Gruel in a three-set cliff-hanger - the type of
nerve-wracking contest in which he has been pipped at the post on
numerous occasions this year.
Moodie, meanwhile, faltered with doubles partner Dick Norman of
Belgium in their quest to improve their prospects of qualifying for
the ATP's season-ending World Tour Finals in London next month
after going down 7-6 (4) 7-6 (3) in the first round against
France's Julien Benneteau and Nicolas Mahut.
Adding insult to the untimely setback was the fact that the
impressive performances and results of Moodie and Norman this year,
which included reaching the French Open Finals and the Wimbledon
semifinals, had just earned them a top seeding in the Lyon
tournament.
Anderson will be hoping the win against Gruel provides him with
the kind of incentive and confidence that enabled him to beat the
world's third-ranked Novak Djokovic last year and win his first
fully-fledged ATP tournament.
But it won't be easy to progress further in discerning Lyon,
with Benneteau, Moodie's conquerer in the doubles, out to complete
a double over South Africans when he plays Anderson in the next
round of the singles.
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