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ROLAND GARROS

June 2, 2018

Kevin Anderson

Paris, France

K. ANDERSON/M. Zverev

6-1, 6-7, 6-3, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English, please.

Q. Into the fourth round another time. Just wondering how did you feel about the way you've progressed this tournament, especially that you played clay court specialists but also today someone like Mischa is different. You must be pleased.
KEVIN ANDERSON: Yeah, I'm through to the Round of 16. You know, I felt I've played three good matches.

Today was a tough match for me. I felt for a lot of the match I was in pretty good control. From a stats standpoint, I think I was able to win quite a few more points, but tennis is very different like that. He won some very key points.

He's a very tricky player. Obviously, maybe people don't consider him a clay court specialist, but the way he's played, I mean, it's still really tough playing him on the clay. He moves very well. He's had good results himself.

So I'm really pleased to get through. So far so good. It's coming here with high hopes and expectations, but you have to take care of, you know, each match. There's still a lot of tennis to be played.

But, of course, I'm happy to have given myself an opportunity to play for a spot in the quarterfinals.

Q. I want to ask you about Diego Schwartzman. His size is now not the typical on tour. So what do you think makes him such a dangerous player? Because he's seeded number 11 here.
KEVIN ANDERSON: Yeah, I mean, he's at his career-high ranking, just outside the top 10.

You know, what makes him so good is he's one of the best returners in the game. He's one of the best movers in the game. He's one of the best fighters in the game. He's a great ball striker from the baseline.

So, you know, I've played him a few times. It's been very tough matches, and this was before he really sort of has moved up the rankings.

So, yeah, I'm expecting it to be a very tough match. I have to really pay attention to the kind of tennis that I want to be playing. Obviously, we play tennis very differently. But, you know, it's a challenge that I'm really looking forward to.

Q. Rafa and other players, some other players say that, like, the future of tennis is just going to be a lot of tall people and almost no short people at all. I guess does someone like Diego, is he an example of something that, no, that's not going to happen, or do you think that someone like Diego cannot survive in this sport in ten years?
KEVIN ANDERSON: Yeah, I mean, you know, I don't know what Nadal or whoever else is saying, how they're defining tall tennis players.

Historically, you would have to say that, in terms of results, the ideal height for tennis has been, you know, closer to around just over six foot. If you looked at, I mean, just Nadal, Federer, Djokovic, I mean, these guys aren't 6'6, 6'7. There's certainly been a lot more players coming through that way, but it's not like the taller players are blowing off people around that height right off the courts.

So I definitely disagree with that. I feel like if you look at somebody like Diego, no matter what universe we play tennis in, he's always going to be really a tough opponent to play, regardless of your height.

I mean, you know, somebody who's 6'8 to be able to sort of read serves and where you're hitting your contact points and stuff is always going to be pretty tough.

But I do agree, and I've always said, you see taller guys moving better and better. I think that's definitely the biggest, you know, challenge us tall players face.

But I feel like I move very well for a tall guy. And, you know, if I'm able to completely mitigate the movement side, then I would say there's advantages.

But, you know, in 10 years' time, I think -- I would be very surprised if it's just all tall tennis players. I mean, somebody like Federer who's 6'1, I think if you put him in ten years' time, he's still going to be really good, as is Rafa on the clay.

So, no, I don't agree with that.

Q. I wanted to ask you about you're, obviously, one of the few players from Africa who is at that level. It's either you or Malek Jaziri or sometimes just you. Is that something that comes in your mind when you are doing so well that you are the only person from a whole continent who's doing that well?
KEVIN ANDERSON: Yeah, I mean, I really hope, as I've said for a while, I'm able to inspire tennis players, you know, obviously, in South Africa, but, you know, throughout the continent of Africa.

There's a lot of the challenges that, you know, everybody faces there. You know, tennis isn't played in that part of the world nearly as much as in, you know, Europe and the States, and it's very expensive.

So definitely right now it's been a bit of a lull in, you know, tennis players. Obviously,

Raven Klaasen has done very well in the doubles. He's been up in the top 10, so that was great to see.

And, you know, at the professional level, it will take quite a lot of time. It's a whole cycle. So hopefully those kids ten and under are watching me playing.

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