Australia’s Marinko Matosevic has fallen to South African fourth seed Kevin Anderson in the quarter-finals of the ATP Delray Beach Open in a rematch of the 2012 final.
Anderson fired 10 aces and connected on 61 per cent of his first serves in a 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 6-3 victory over his 55th-ranked rival, who had nine aces but also six double-faults and only a 49 per cent first-serve success rate in Florida on Friday.
Seeking his second Delray Beach title in three years and third ATP career crown, Anderson advanced to a Saturday clash with US qualifier Steve Johnson, who eliminated Spanish sixth seed Feliciano Lopez 6-3 6-2 in 73 minutes.
Johnson, who upset top seed Tommy Haas in the second round, has reached his first ATP semi-final. He has already beaten Anderson this year, ousting him in Auckland last month.
Anderson surrendered only one break over two hours and 23 minutes in improving to 12-3 all time at Delray Beach and 3-0 against Matosevic.
“I’ve played him a couple times before and it’s a battle each time,” Anderson said. “I just hung in there and finally got that breakthrough in the second set. It was gusty and it was tough to get a rhythm.
“I’m in the semis and that’s a great feeling.”
Anderson’s only other title came in 2011 on home soil in Johannesburg.
American second seed John Isner rallied to reach the semi-finals, where he will try to deny Marin Cilic his third final in as many weeks.
Isner fired 18 aces in outlasting US qualifier Rhyne Williams 4-6 6-3 6-2 while Cilic, the seventh seed from Croatia, dispatched Russia’s Teymuraz Gabashvili 6-2 6-3.
Cilic won his fourth career ATP crown on home soil in Zagreb two weeks ago and, last week, reached the Rotterdam final, losing to Czech Tomas Berdych.
Hitting 12 aces and converting five of six break points, Cilic advanced in 79 minutes and took the 2014 lead in match wins with 16.
“Good times are rolling. It’s pretty good,” Cilic said. “This is my first time ever (reaching) two finals in a row, and a semi-final, so that’s huge for me. It’s very positive.”
