Kevin Anderson continues to soar, this time into Wimbledon final

Everything is looking up for Kevin Anderson. After taking part in the second longest match in Slam history, the South African is on his way to his second appearance in a Grand Slam final for a matchup against Djokovic or Nadal.

Kevin Anderson is having a great second week at Wimbledon. After a five-set thriller against top overall seed and consensus favorite Roger Federer, the 32-year-old followed it up on Friday, beating American John Isner 26-24 in the fifth set to earn his spot in the final.

Six hours and 35 minutes: That’s how long it took to find a winner Friday, in what turned out to be the second-longest match in Slam history and the longest ever in a semifinal.

Anderson at All-England better than ever

Go back to Wednesday against Federer and what carried Anderson past the great? His serve. On Friday, we saw the same strength go toe to toe as Anderson and Isner squared off, two of the best in tennis when it comes to it. They didn’t disappoint, with102 aces combined on the day. Isner had 40 early into the final set. Anderson caught up in a hurry, finishing with 49 against Isner’s 53.

What defined that last stretch of play? The service game. Holding serve has never meant more than in a no-tiebreak situation in the fifth set of a Grand Slam. Friday’s contest featured three tiebreaks to start before Anderson broke in the fourth to secure the set and force the final frame.

Isner and Anderson both had moments where they seemed to be slipping toward losing the break before having two big serves to swing it right back in their favor. That is, until the 49th game of the fifth set. Anderson found the right time to take advantage of an Isner mistake, compounded with a heroic save at 15-love, and finally broke the American’s serve.

One hold later, and for the second time in his career, Anderson sits three sets away from a Grand Slam title. Any way you slice it and the South African is ready. If the quarterfinals and semifinals tell you anything, it’s that Anderson wants this one.

He didn’t, however, forget to appreciate the amazing performance that Isner put on as well.

Is this the time Anderson brings one home?

Ten years removed from his first ever Grand Slam appearance on the tour, Anderson will square off on Sunday to attempt to bring it full circle. Last fall, Anderson faced Rafael Nadal in the US Open Final but fell in three sets. There’s nothing like a learning experience, and Anderson, almost certainly can’t help but appreciate the experience. There’s nothing like a Final. To get there is one thing in your career, winning one is another.

This season has been Anderson’s best. He won his fourth ATP title and sits at eighth in the world rankings. To top it off, Anderson is the first South African in a Wimbledon Final since Brian Norton in 1921. Talk about a momentous occasion.

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Anderson’s game has evolved from his collegiate days, and it seems that overall the game has never been more complete for him. To beat either Djokovic or Nadal, he’ll have to find that next gear. Back to back five set slugfests but I’m sure he’s never been more ready for this moment.

Will Anderson face a resurgent Novak Djokovic or a time tested Rafael Nadal? That’s to be decided Saturday. After the epic that was the first semifinal, the Djokovic-Nadal match was suspended after the third set and will be finished on Saturday.