South Africa’s Kevin Anderson pulled an upset at the 2013 Australian Open after beating 22nd seed and 2009 semifinalist Fernando Verdasco 4-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6, 6-2 in three hours and 46 minutes. He admitted afterwards that he was emotional after the victory.
“I was very emotional at the end,” Anderson said. “I tried my best to win it at 5-2. It’s a little easier than having to serve it out. I was pretty happy to see that forehand go by.”
Anderson became the first South African male player to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament since Wayne Ferreira a decade ago. Ferreira made it to the semifinals of the Australian Open 2003 tournament.
“It was one of the most important matches of my life and hopefully I’ll be able to reproduce more of those in the future,” Anderson said.
Anderson will next face fifth-seeded Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic in the fourth round.
