By James Waterson Photo Credit: Mike Erhmann/AFP/Getty Images
(August 9, 2011) Kevin Anderson of South Africa provided the upset of the day after he dismissed World No. 4 Andy Murray 6-3, 6-1 in the second round of the Rogers Cup on Tuesday.
Anderson, ranked No. 35, broke Murray, the defending champion, in the second game of the match and easily held serve to close out the set.
He broke a listless Murray again in the Scot’s first service game of the second set and then twice more to close out the match.
Murray never found a way to challenge Anderson in anything but his own service games. The South African hit five aces and won 76 percent of his service points while he also won half of his returning points.
This is third time this year Murray has lost in the second round of a Masters tournament. He fell to Donald Young in Indian Wells and Alex Bogomolov Jr. in Miami in straight sets.
The Scot will lose 990 ranking points, but he will still retain his No. 4. On Monday, there will be a 1,480 gap between Murray and Robin Soderling, the World No. 5.
The South African has a 1-1 record against Russell, with both matches coming this year on hard courts. Russell won their first encounter in the first round of Indian Wells in three sets, and Anderson won their next match in Atlanta in straight sets.
He lost to Wawrinka in the one match they’ve played in Miami in 2010 in straight sets.
Canadian wildcard Vasek Posposil won his first ATP tour main draw match after he beat 22nd-ranked Juan Ignacio Chela 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Posposil, ranked No. 155, rallied from a 4-2 deficit in the third set to claim the match.
Posposil will face 16-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer in the second round.