Kevin Anderson rams through Jurgen Melzer to enter the semis – Erste Bank Open 2011
Kevin Anderson, South African world No.32, brought down higher ranked quarter-final rival of Erste Bank Open 2011, the local lad, Jurgen Melzer, world No. 25, in straight easy sets, 6-3, 6-3 to walk on to the semis stage. Taking
no more than an hour and 3 minutes, Anderson disappointed all the fans there to see the local favourite play at the indoor hard court, Wiener Stadthalle, Vienna.
Anderson started off serving out the match opener, rolling down the scoreboard, 1-0. Melzer continued with his first set serve and levelled up with a winner, 1-1, and switching back the serve. Winning away his second serve, the
25-year-old world No.32 increased his lead to 2-1 before striking again.
Breaking the world No.25, Anderson amplified his lead to 3-1 following with serving out game 5, 4-1. With a comfortable lead through his 3 straight games win, the 25-year-old South African was left with two more game wins to finish
off the first set winning.
Cutting down the lead, Melzer served out game six and eight, however, was unable to break the lower ranked South African at any point. Anderson, on the other hand, won game seven and nine, to finish off with the set winning, 6-3,
and moved on to play the second set.
Disappointed and frustrated, the local lad seemed helpless against the super strong 25-year-old. Anyhow, continuing with set two, Melzer served out the opener, 1-0, followed by the world No.32 levelling up right away, 1-1. Winning
a game each next both levelled up again at 2-2 before the tables turned.
Anderson, after levelling up the scores at 3-3, broke the world No.25 in game 7, 4-3, and served out game 8 to lead the match, 5-3. One game away from his win, Anderson went marvellous as he broke the higher ranked veteran the
second time in the last 3 games to clinch away the set, 6-3, and the match in straight same score sets with mere difficulty.
Although the Austrian is 30-years-old, yet this does not mean that his play has been affected 100 percent. Nevertheless, the South African put up a great play to outdo the higher ranked counterpart. Through into the semis now,
Anderson is surely proving to be a strong wall to pull down.
Playing against the second seed and world No.15, the mighty Argentine, Juan Martin Del Potro, would certainly be a challenge for the 25-year-old. However, with the current form the Argentine is, it is hard to depict his loss to
a well differentiated player.
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