Anderson Rolls Into Semis at US Open National Playoffs

For Matawan tennis player Robin Anderson, the dream of competing in the US Open is just two matches away.

Competing in the quarterfinals of the US Open National Playoffs, held at the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale University in New Haven, CT, Anderson held off a spirited challenge from her opponent, Sylvia Kosakowski of Downey, CA. Despite some strong defensive play from Kosakowski, Anderson remained in control of most of the baseline rallies as she easily advanced with a 6-3, 6-2 victory.

“I’m just trying to view every opponent as equal out there and just play as well as I possibly can,” said Anderson. “I’m not thinking too much further than what’s in front of me.”

Anderson is pulling double duty this week, having also received a wild card into the qualifying draw of the New Haven Open. Earlier on Friday, she pulled off the biggest upset of the day and the biggest win of her career in dispatching No. 8 seed and world No. 83 Evgeniya Rodina 6-2, 4-2, ret. She will be playing her second round qualifying match in the New Haven Open and her semifinal match in the US Open National Playoffs tomorrow.

“It’s common to play two matches a day in junior tournaments, so it’s not that unusual for me,” said Anderson. “I’m trying not to treat it like two separate tournaments, but rather just two opponents that will be in front of me tomorrow.”

Anderson will play fellow American and No. 3 seed Macall Harkins in the semifinals on Saturday. The two played against each other earlier this summer in the finals of a playoff for a qualifying wild card into the Texas Tennis Open, a WTA event in Dallas, which Harkins won in three sets. Because she’s in the semifinals of the US Open National Playoffs, Harkins has been forced to give back the wildcard in order to continue competing here.

While many of her peers on the junior tennis circuit have opted to turn professional immediately after finishing high school, Anderson has enrolled at UCLA in the fall, where she will compete on the women’s tennis team.

Despite a current world ranking of No. 735 and winning her first professional title this summer at a $10,000 USTA Pro Circuit event in Landisville, PA, Anderson said she is excited to take her game to the west coast for college.

“I’ll always have the chance to play pro,” said Anderson. “I think for that right now, going to college is the best choice for my game.”

Anderson is no stranger to the US Open, having competed in the junior event last year, where she lost in the quarterfinals after upsetting former junior world No. 1 Laura Robson of Great Britain. However, she acknowledged that playing in the qualifying of the Women’s Singles event at the US Open would be a career highlight.

“Even though I’ve been on those courts before, playing in the qualifying would be a much bigger experience and a much bigger opportunity for me,” said Anderson.

Anderson’s second round qualifying match in the New Haven Open against Anastasia Rodionova of Australia will take place at 11:00am. Her semifinal match in the US Open National Playoffs against Harkins will take place at approximately 5:00pm.