LONDON – It was a comeback and an upset that made those wearing Orange and Blue proud.
Kevin Anderson, a former University of Illinois tennis player and the eighth-seed in this year’s Wimbledon men’s singles tournament, knocked out the top seed Roger Federer in five sets on Wednesday morning.
After losing the first two sets, 32-year old native of South Africa came back to win the final three sets 7-5, 6-4, 13-11 to advance to the semifinal round for the first time in his career. It’s also the first time Anderson has knocked off Federer, the defending Wimbledon champion, in five tries.
Naturally, many in the Illini athletics community were saluting the player on Twitter after the victory.
Anderson, a three-time All-American at Illinois, moves onto the semifinals of Wimbledon for the first time in his career. It’s the second-farthest he’s advanced in a Grand Slam tournament, having made the final of the US Open in 2017. He is the 8th ranked player on the ATP World Tour, and will have a chance to elevate that over the next few days in England.
When he does, expect a lot of support from the fans wearing Orange and Blue.
