LONDON: Czech veteran Radek Stepanek claimed another impressive scalp at Queen’s Club as he followed his shock win over Andy Murray by defeating South Africa’s Kevin Anderson 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the quarter-finals yesterday.
Stepanek, ranked 42nd, ended defending champion Murray’s 19-match winning run on grass in the previous round.
And the 35-year-old continued his giant-killing streak by fighting back from a set down to eliminate world number 18 Anderson to reach the last four at the Wimbledon warm-up for the first time in nine years.
Stepanek will play Feliciano Lopez tomorrow for a place in Sunday’s final after the Spanish 10th seed enjoyed a surprise 6-4, 7-6 (9/7) success against world number six Tomas Berdych.
Stepanek seemed to be suffering a hangover from his stunning victory against Wimbledon champion Murray during a lethargic first set display that saw the big-serving 6-feet-8-inch Anderson overpower his opponent with ease.
But Stepanek, supported again by compatriot and Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech, wrestled the momentum back to seal his latest impressive win after surviving a 15-ace barrage from the seventh seed.
“It’s great to beat a top guy, but it’s even tougher to back it up with a win again,” said 15th seed Stepanek, who is bidding to win his first singles’ title since 2011 in Washington.
“In the first set Kevin played perfect tennis. For a half hour I really had no chance.
“But I once won a match where I faced 78 aces. That was against Ivo Karlovic in the Davis Cup in 2009, so I knew I just had to wait and take my first chance.”
AFP
