The men’s singles final at this year’s US Open will be contested by one familiar face and one unfamiliar one.

For world No 1 Rafael Nadal, the Arthur Ashe Stadium does not hold much surprise. With two US Open titles and another appearance in the final, Nadal will start off as favourite, more so, because of his stunning form in this tournament which has seen him dispatch opponents with ease. His semi-final opponent, Juan Martin del Potro had no answer to the Spaniard who beat him 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2.

On the other side of the net will stand Kevin Anderson, the first South African player in 52 years to reach the US Open final. The big-serving 31-year-old downed Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the final. Anderson is also the first South African player to reach the final of a slam since Kevin Curren in 1984.

But he is not an opponent Nadal does not know of.

After his win against Del Potro, the world No 1 said, “I’m happy for him and I have known him since he was 12.”

As you can tell, the two go back a long way. A very long way. Back to 1998, in fact.

But the South African player will have to play out of his skin to entertain any possibility of upsetting the turbo-charged Spaniard who enjoys a 4-0 head-to-head record over him with Nadal’s last win coming on clay in the Barcelona Open in the round-of-16.

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