Back to the Illinois Fighting Illini Newsfeed

Asmussen | Despite loss in Wimbledon final, Anderson earns respect of peers

In the 2004 movie "Wimbledon," Paul Bettany's "Peter Colt" rallies from a huge deficit to beat a heavy favorite for the championship.

That was fiction.

Real life was a lot different for former Illini Kevin Anderson. The South African, who won two titanic matches to get to Sunday, didn't have much left.

He fell to now-four-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (3) on a steamy day in London.

There was no Hollywood ending for Anderson. But there was definitely respect. Djokovic, who won as the No. 12 seed, praised his opponent.

"He has had an incredible run," Djokovic said.