Kevin Anderson is on the verge of qualifying for the semifinals of the ATP World Tour Finals after thrashing Kei Nishikori in London on Tuesday.
No.4 seed Anderson won 6-0, 6-1 in just 64 minutes to secure his second win of the week, following his opening victory over Dominic Thiem on Monday.
The South African will move through to the semifinals on his first appearance at the competition if Thiem defeats Roger Federer in Tuesday’s evening session at the O2 Arena, but is likely to qualify regardless due to his superior record.
Anderson was dominant on his serve throughout, winning 12 out of his 15 service points in a one-sided first set. The world No.6 secured the early break in the second game of the match, eventually converting his third break point, and didn’t look back as he raced to a 6-0 lead.
Nishikori, who handed Roger Federer a surprise defeat in his opening match on Monday, was out of sorts from the off and committed 24 unforced errors during the match.
Anderson continued to dominate in the second set, as he broke Nishikori twice more to lead 5-0. Nishikori eventually held serve at the sixth attempt, preventing what would have been only the second double bagel in the history of the ATP Finals.
But Nishikori’s hold only delayed the inevitable, as Anderson sealed the match in the following game. He finished with 10 aces and 15 winners and said his performance was the “best he had ever played” in his post-match interview.