© Millennium Estoril Open
Kevin Anderson reached his first ATP Tour quarter-final in six months on Wednesday in Estoril
Humbert, Davidovich Fokina play later today
Kevin Anderson struck 12 aces to beat Spanish lucky loser Roberto Carballes Baena 6-3, 7-6(4) on Wednesday for a place in the Millennium Estoril Open quarter-finals. The South African failed to convert four match points at 5-4 and needed to recover from 2/4 down in the second-set tie-break en route to victory in one hour and 49 minutes.
“I was 2/4 down in the tie-break, but I managed to raise my level and I fought really well in order to get the match finished in straight sets,” said Anderson. “It was important to forget the 5-4 game, as I think I played some very good tennis out there.”
The former World No. 5, who last reached the quarter-finals of an ATP Tour event in October 2020 at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna (l. to Rublev), will next play sixth-seeded Croatian Marin Cilic or Portuguese qualifier Nuno Borges.
Later today, third-seeded Frenchman Ugo Humbert challenges Marco Cecchinato of Italy and another Frenchman, Jeremy Chardy, meets eighth-seeded Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.