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Kevin Anderson wins opener, John Isner ousted at Mexican Open

By Harry Floyd

ACAPULCO, MEXICO - FEBRUARY 26: Kevin Anderson of South Africa takes a forehand shot during the match between Radu Albot of Moldova and Kevin Anderson of South Africa as part of the Telcel Mexican Open 2018 at Mextenis Stadium on February 26, 2018 in Acapulco, Mexico. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
ACAPULCO, MEXICO - FEBRUARY 26: Kevin Anderson of South Africa takes a forehand shot during the match between Radu Albot of Moldova and Kevin Anderson of South Africa as part of the Telcel Mexican Open 2018 at Mextenis Stadium on February 26, 2018 in Acapulco, Mexico. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images) /
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Kevin Anderson is off to a strong start at the 2018 Mexican Open. The South African tennis player is the No. 5 seed this week.

Kevin Anderson is riding high right now on the 2018 ATP World Tour. He wins his opener this week in Acapulco, Mexico after having recently taken the title at the New York Open.

Last week, Anderson defeated American tennis star Sam Querrey in the New York Open finals. The title win was the fourth of his career. He is now within the ATP Top 10, sitting in the world No. 8 position as of this week. Anderson is the fifth seed at the 2018 Mexican Open.

The world No. 8 defeats Radu Albot of Moldova in his first match this week. Winning in straight sets, he moves on with ease. Anderson defeats Albot 6-4, 6-3 in the round of 32 at the Mexican Open. The South African is an interesting player to watch moving forward in Acapulco.

Losing his opener at the Mexican Open is American John Isner.

John Isner splashes out of yet another early 2018 tour event. The American drops his opener to Ryan Harrison in straight sets. Harrison closes out the match, winning a second set tiebreak in order to knock out the No. 8 seed this week. The loss is big for Isner. He is already off to a slow start on the 2018 ATP World Tour. Play in Acapulco has gone no differently for the veteran American tennis player. While he is the current world No. 19 in men’s singles tennis, Isner will likely drop out of the ATP Top 20 depending on the rest of the action this week.

Next: Nadal's return to ATP action

As players like Kevin Anderson advance, everyone is still eyeing top seeded Rafael Nadal. The world No. 2 makes his return from a brief stint away due to injury. If Nadal is healthy and ready to go, he ought to be considered the favorite this week. He plays his opener on Tuesday in Acapulco. Check back to see how he fares bouncing back from his recent leg injury. Nadal will look to retake the world No. 1 ranking from Swiss great Roger Federer in the coming weeks.

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