Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.

South African Kevin Anderson will step onto court for the first time in the Gulf States as he plays in the Abu Dhabi exhibition, The ATP No. 12 will participate in the three-day event which begins on New Year’s eve.

The first South African since Wayne Ferreira in 1997 to crack a top 10 ranking, the US-based Anderson will hope to follow up on the best season of his career, which ended 46-24 and included his first quarter-final at a grand slam event as he knocked out Andy Murray at the US Open.

“I can’t wait to be competing at this year’s Mubadala World Tennis Championship and have always wanted to be a part of it. I know all the players really give it their all in Abu Dhabi and I hear the crowds are pretty amazing, so I’m looking forward to experiencing it for the first time,” said Anderson.

“When I turned pro, my aim was to make it into the top 100 in the world and this year I broke into the top 10, which was a massive moment for me. I hope to build on this in 2016 and the chance to play in Abu Dhabi against the top players in the world ahead of the new season will get me in the best possible shape to do so.”

The event is due to feature Milos Raonic, though the Canadian had to quit the IPTL series in Asia to rest a dicey back. Others in the field include French Open champions Rafael Nadal and Stan Wawrinka plus Spain’s David Ferrer and Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.