Whine and Andy
For the first time since the 2010 U.S. Open, Andy Murray has missed the quarterfinals of a major; Kevin Anderson has finally made one. And for the first time in Flushing, Murray dropped his British reserve and showed a fiery temper, even destroying a racket after the second set.
The 6foot8 Anderson, of South Africa, stunned the thirdseeded Murray in the Round of 16 Monday, hanging on to win a 4hour, 18minute foursetter at jampacked Louis Armstrong Stadium, capped by a 70 tiebreaker. The daycard match spilled into the night, ending at 9 p.m., with the final tally 76, 63, 67, 76.
Both players held serve in the fourth set, bringing on a tiebreaker. Anderson played the perfect tiebreak, winning all seven points, sprinkling in two 135mph serves. The match was the longest at this year’s Open.
“That’s many years work that’s gone into building that consistency,’’ Murray said of his streak of 18 straight Slam quarterfinals ending.
The emotional Brit went on a wild, profanitylaced tirade at his chair after falling two sets down — unhappy with Anderson’s prolonged bathroom break. Murray was emotional all match, visibly angry during the match’s ebbs, shouting at himself and exhorting the crowd on many occasions.
“I was trying to use the energy of the crowd as much as I could,’’ said Murray.
It was 15thseeded Anderson’s first trip to a Slam quarterfinal after many close calls. Murray had rallied from two sets down earlier in the Open, but couldn’t pull magic out of his hat this time.
“I played the best match of my life,’’ said Anderson, who faces Swiss stalwart Stan Wawrinka in the quarterfinals as the first South African into the final eight in a major in 12 years.
Before the thirdset tiebreaker, the rowdy Armstrong crowd broke into a “Let’s Go Andy’’ chant as if this were the English countryside and not Flushing Meadows. Murray won the tiebreaker 72, and it looked as if Murray might pull another Houdini act. Eight times he survived from a 20 hole in sets.
Murray made a rare appearance on the Open’s secondary stadium court and said the conditions are faster than Ashe.
“I was on the back foot quite a lot,’’ Murray said. “I wasn’t able to play offensively. It’s a hard one to lose.’’