Anderson, Dimitrov Make Winning Returns In Miami
After more than two months away from the court, Kevin Anderson made a triumphant return to action on Saturday. The South African kicked off his campaign at the Miami Open presented by Itau with a hard-fought win over Jaume Munar on Court 1.
Appearing in his first tournament since the Australian Open in January due to a right elbow injury, the World No. 7 overcame a stern test from the 21-year-old Spaniard to advance 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. He needed two hours and 12 minutes to battle to victory, firing 17 aces while converting three of seven break chances.
"It was all good and I was really pleased with the way [the elbow] felt," Anderson said. "To get through in three sets, it felt really good to be back out there. I'm happy with how the elbow responded. I feel like I'm hitting the ball great."
"It's always different playing matches than hitting in practise, but I've been able to up my load and how much I'm able to serve. That's really encouraging and that's why I felt good coming into this week. I've been able to do everything but hit serves recently. I always had the confidence that as soon as I got over that hurdle, I was going to find my form pretty quickly."
[ALSO LIKE]
Anderson, who lifted the Pune trophy to kick off the season, withdrew from New York, Delray Beach and Indian Wells in recent months. But, on the mend and looking to push towards a Top 5 return, the 32-year-old is targeting a deep run at Hard Rock Stadium. His mettle was tested early and often against Munar, having to battle back from a break deficit in the first set and overcome a second set hiccup to win in a decider.
A quarter-finalist last year in Miami (l. to Carreno Busta), Anderson is making his 10th appearance at the ATP Masters 1000 stop. He will next face Joao Sousa of Portugal in the third round. It will be their first FedEx ATP Head2Head encounter since 2016, when Sousa prevailed on the clay of Nice.
Earlier in the day, Sousa earned a 7-6(6), 6-4 win over Steve Johnson. The Portuguese is coming off a Round of 16 visit last year.
Back with a bang ????
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 23, 2019
In his first match since the Australian Open, @GrigorDimitrov overcomes Lopez 6-1 6-3 to make the #MiamiOpen 3rd round! pic.twitter.com/KQV89mejpQ
In other action, 24th seed Grigor Dimitrov set a third-round date with Jordan Thompson. The Bulgarian secured a convincing 6-1, 6-3 win over Feliciano Lopez, needing exactly one hour to extend his stay in South Florida.
Like Anderson, Dimitrov has also been missing from action since the Australian Open. The former World No. 3, who has been struggling with a shoulder injury, is fighting for a Top 20 return after falling to No. 29 in the ATP Rankings. He kicked off his 2019 season with a quarter-final finish in Brisbane, before exiting Melbourne Park in the fourth round (l. to Tiafoe).
"I'm almost in tears to be honest," said an emotional Dimitrov. "It's been a rough road for me so far, but I'm just very pleased to be back on the court. Not many expectations for myself and I'm trying to make the most out of every day I can get out there.
"I didn't even think I was going to play here, so I got a chance to play and wanted to make the most of it. It’s been a long road for me since Australia, so I just wanted to come on the court and spread my wings a little bit.
"It’s been a lot of time off the court. I could still do my fitness and maintain my game, but I couldn’t serve for over a month. I’ve been going through a lot of treatments, a lot of rehab, a lot of everything. To come and play sort of pain-free is nice and I’m just thankful to be able to play this tournament."
Dimitrov will next face Australia's Thompson after the 24-year-old completed a comprehensive 6-2, 6-3 win over 10th seed Karen Khachanov. The World No. 77 is in the midst of a strong Masters 1000 run after winning his first match at the level in Indian Wells. He followed that up with a comeback win over Cameron Norrie to open his Miami bid.