• Federer seals spot in Tour Finals with win • Halep beats heat and injury to progress NEW YORK — Giant South African Kevin Anderson insisted he never gave up hope of landing a significant Grand Slam blow despite being just nine months shy of his 30th birthday. The Johannesburg-born, Florida-based Anderson stunned world No. 3 Andy Murray at the US Open Tuesday to reach his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the 27th attempt. His 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (7-0) win over the 2012 champion, fought out over four hours and 18 minutes, was also his first win over a top-10 player at the Grand Slams in 16 matches. Another tennis giant John Isner was slain by Roger Federer. Two David vs Goliath matchups, however, ended all too predictably as 97th ranked British qualifier Johanna Konta saw her Flushing Meadows joy ride ended 7-5, 6-3 by fifth seeded Czech Petra Kvitova and 68th ranked American Donald Young ran out of comeback magic in a 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 loss to fifth seed Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland. Tomas Berdych's time in Flushing Meadows also came to an end with the sixth seeded Czech falling 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 to 12th seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet. Second seed Federer also came face-to-face with one of the ATP Tour's biggest hitters and coolly defused six-foot, 10-inch (2.08m) Isner's booming serve to claim a 7-6(0), 7-6(6), 7-5 victory. Federer held his own from the service line to thwart Isner, never losing his serve, and used his returning skills to derail a pair of long streaks enjoyed by the American. The 34-year-old Federer closed out the two hour, 39 minute fourth-round match by breaking Isner's serve, ending the American's string of 108 consecutive service holds at the US Open. His perfect scoreline in the opening set tiebreak snapped an even longer Isner streak. In 429 tiebreakers played by Isner, he had never dropped one 7-0. “Seven-love obviously is a pretty good score against John,” said Federer. With the win Federer booked a place in the ATP World Tour Finals, joining world No. 1 Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray as definites for the season-ending event in London. Second seed Simona Halep overcame a thigh injury, baking heat and finally big-hitting German Sabine Lisicki to also reach the US Open quarters for the first time. It was Labor Day in the United States but it was certainly no holiday for Halep who had to work for her spot in the last eight, needing two hours and 38 minutes under a broiling sun to dispatch Lisicki 6-7(6), 7-5, 6-2 and reach the US Open quarterfinals for the first time. Waiting for the Romanian in the last eight is two-time US Open finalist Victoria Azarenka, who advanced with a comfortable 6-3, 6-4 win over American Varvara Lepchenko. After a couple of days of relief, the heat returned to Flushing Meadows turning the fourth round clash between Halep and Lisicki into a test of survival. Italy's Flavia Pennetta returned to the quarterfinals for the fourth consecutive year easing past 2011 US Open winner Samantha Stosur of Australia 6-4, 6-4. — Agencies
