SA qualifier's dream dashed

2008-03-10 07:41

Las Vegas - Unseeded American Sam Querrey captured his first career ATP title on Sunday, beating South African qualifier Kevin Anderson in three sets to win the $500 000 hardcourt tournament.

Querrey, ranked 66th in the world, fired 12 aces en route to a 4-6 6-3 6-4 victory over the 175th-ranked Anderson.

Querrey, 20, bettered his match record to 12-6 this year and became the second American to capture an ATP title in 2008.

The other is Andy Roddick, who won in San Jose last month and Dubai on Saturday.

"I started playing better as the match went on," said Querrey, who broke Anderson to lead 5-3 in the second set and in the fifth game of the third.

"It takes a little time to get into rhythm against a guy who hits it so hard and heavy. He was just bombing it in there."

Querrey reached his first career final with a 7-5 6-2 semi-final victory over fourth-seeded Guillermo Canas of Argentina.

Canas had been the last seed standing after number one Fernando Gonzalez, second seed and defending champion Lleyton Hewitt and third-seeded Marcos Baghdatis were all ousted in a rash of early upsets.

Anderson, who starred on the US collegiate circuit for the University of Illinois, ousted American Robby Ginepri 7-6 (7/4) 6-4, in the semi-finals to also reach his first final.

"A point here and there and that match could have been mine," said Anderson, who is expected to rise to around 111 in the world rankings. "I feel that I am right there."

Anderson continued an uncanny run of success in recent weeks for players emerging from qualifying.

In February, Japanese teenager Kei Nishikori won the title in Delray Beach as a qualifier. Last week, lucky loser Sergiy Stakhovsky of the Ukraine captured his first career crown in Zagreb.

- AFP