<p class="title">It was a case of better late than never as Kevin Anderson reached his first Wimbledon final with a heart-stopping 7-6(6), 6-7(5), 6-7(9), 6-4, 26-24 win over the sport’s perennial ultramarathon man John Isner on Friday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">After being kept on the run for six hours and 36 minutes, the longest ever singles semi-final at the All England Club, how the 32-year-old was still standing was anyone’s guess.</p>.<p class="bodytext">When it was all done and dusted, there were no wild roars, no fist pumping and no raised arms in celebration - all Anderson had left in him was to give Isner a sympathetic hug after he came out on top in the second longest match ever contested at the All England Club.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“I don’t know what to say right now. Just playing like that in those conditions was really tough on both of us. At the end you feel like it is a draw, but someone has to win,” a drained Anderson, who had sensationally beaten defending champion Roger Federer in another nail-biting five setter two days ago, said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“John is a great guy and I really feel for him. If I was on the opposite side I don’t know how you can take that playing for so long and coming out short... getting through something like that is quite different.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“I’ve known John for such a long time, he is a great guy. To be honest he has pushed me through my career and had a great one himself.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“I have pushed myself harder because of the success he has had. I have to say congratulations to John on a great tournament, semi-finals here is a remarkable achievement and hopefully, he can come back stronger.”</p>.<p class="bodytext">Playing Isner who is enshrined in Wimbledon folklore for winning the “endless match” - an 11-hour five-minute humdinger against Nicolas Mahut in 2010 - Anderson needed five nerve-shredding sets to topple the American and become the first South African man to reach the Wimbledon final for 97 years. A showdown between two tennis skyscrapers - with Isner topping the 6 foot 8 Anderson by two inches - predictably featured three tiebreaks and 102 thunderbolt aces but it was the 32-year-old South African who delivered the knockout blow.</p>.<p class="bodytext">After watching Isner strike a weary forehand wide, Anderson advanced to the Wimbledon final at the 10th time of asking.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The eighth seed will face either twice champion Rafael Nadal or three-times winner Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s final.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Brian Norton was the last South African man to reach the final in 1921.</p>
<p class="title">It was a case of better late than never as Kevin Anderson reached his first Wimbledon final with a heart-stopping 7-6(6), 6-7(5), 6-7(9), 6-4, 26-24 win over the sport’s perennial ultramarathon man John Isner on Friday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">After being kept on the run for six hours and 36 minutes, the longest ever singles semi-final at the All England Club, how the 32-year-old was still standing was anyone’s guess.</p>.<p class="bodytext">When it was all done and dusted, there were no wild roars, no fist pumping and no raised arms in celebration - all Anderson had left in him was to give Isner a sympathetic hug after he came out on top in the second longest match ever contested at the All England Club.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“I don’t know what to say right now. Just playing like that in those conditions was really tough on both of us. At the end you feel like it is a draw, but someone has to win,” a drained Anderson, who had sensationally beaten defending champion Roger Federer in another nail-biting five setter two days ago, said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“John is a great guy and I really feel for him. If I was on the opposite side I don’t know how you can take that playing for so long and coming out short... getting through something like that is quite different.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“I’ve known John for such a long time, he is a great guy. To be honest he has pushed me through my career and had a great one himself.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“I have pushed myself harder because of the success he has had. I have to say congratulations to John on a great tournament, semi-finals here is a remarkable achievement and hopefully, he can come back stronger.”</p>.<p class="bodytext">Playing Isner who is enshrined in Wimbledon folklore for winning the “endless match” - an 11-hour five-minute humdinger against Nicolas Mahut in 2010 - Anderson needed five nerve-shredding sets to topple the American and become the first South African man to reach the Wimbledon final for 97 years. A showdown between two tennis skyscrapers - with Isner topping the 6 foot 8 Anderson by two inches - predictably featured three tiebreaks and 102 thunderbolt aces but it was the 32-year-old South African who delivered the knockout blow.</p>.<p class="bodytext">After watching Isner strike a weary forehand wide, Anderson advanced to the Wimbledon final at the 10th time of asking.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The eighth seed will face either twice champion Rafael Nadal or three-times winner Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s final.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Brian Norton was the last South African man to reach the final in 1921.</p>