UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) — Kevin Anderson had already dealt with the disappointment of falling short in a final in New York.
His surprising run to the U.S. Open final last summer jump-started his climb back into the top 10, but his loss to Rafael Nadal was a painful reminder that he kept coming up short at the finish line.
Back in New York this week, he finally got the ending he wanted.
The top seed won the first New York Open on Sunday, beating No. 2 seed Sam Querrey 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (1) for his fourth career ATP Tour title.
Anderson came into Sunday 3-11 in ATP Finals, with one loss already this year.
"I have been runner-up quite a few times in my career," Anderson said. "One of the big goals I had for this year was to try to be a bit more successful in that final stage. I fell a little short earlier this year in India and it feels great to come through and get today's win. So, gives me a lot of confidence for the year."
The South African dominated the tiebreaker after a tight third set, winning the first six points and leading Querrey to slam his racket to the court in frustration.