NEW YORK (Reuters) - First-time grand slam finalist Kevin Anderson said he felt relaxed going into Sunday's U.S. Open decider but was overwhelmed by the "conundrum" of Rafa Nadal's ruthless all-court game. Although the same age as the 31-year-old Spaniard, the late-blooming South African faced an opponent contesting his 23rd grand slam final and fourth at Flushing Meadows. "I think the nerves that I was maybe going to feel, you know, I felt pretty good out there," Anderson told reporters after his 6-3 6-3 6-4 defeat. Federer and Nadal each won two of the four grand slam titles this year, with the 36-year-old Swiss taking the Australian Open and Wimbledon. Anderson said that if 16-times grand slam champion Nadal could stay healthy, he would have a shot of catching Roger Federer's record of 19.

Source: The Star September 11, 2017 02:15 UTC