NEW YORK – Three quick thoughts on the U.S. Open men’s semifinals on Friday, where Rafael Nadal and Kevin Anderson advanced to the championship match.
• Kevin Anderson may be the most unlikely U.S. Open finalist in history. After beating Pablo Carreño Busta in four sets on Friday, the World No. 32 became the lowest-ranked man to reach the final in New York since the ATP debuted its rankings in 1973. He had a solid summer, making the Citi Open final and reaching the quarterfinals in Montreal—losing to Alexander Zverev in both tournaments—but he didn’t give any indication he was capable of what we’ve seen in Flushing Meadows, at least not this year.