Kevin Anderson opened his Millennium Estoril Open campaign on Monday with a dramatic 4-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(4) victory against Frances Tiafoe in which he saved a match point.
The South African fired a backhand onto the baseline to save match point at 5/6 in the second-set tie-break and he rallied from 1-4 down in the decider to reach the second round. Anderson played with consistent aggression on his forehand in the final-set tie-break and fired his 20th ace of the match to seal his victory after two hours and 47 minutes.
“It was obviously a very, very close match,” Anderson said. “I think there were a lot of positives, a lot of really high quality tennis, especially from midway through the second until the end of the match, I was really happy with the way I played. I think even if I had lost that match, obviously it’s always tough losing, but I definitely felt I took a step in the right direction today.
“Getting the win is a big added bonus, it gives me another opportunity to come out…