Anderson battles past Sock to set up semifinal clash with Bublik in Newport

Kevin Anderson rolled back the clock on Thursday, as he rallied from a set down to overcome American Jack Sock and advance to the semifinals at the Hall of Fame Open.

The eighth-seeded Anderson relied on his booming serve, hitting 20 aces and winning 88% of his first serve points to pull off the 6-7(5) 6-2 6-4 victory.

“I was up against a really, really good player. Jack has had a couple of tough years, but his level is way above his ranking,” Anderson said. “I really had to dig deep, it was a very physical match and conditions were much warmer today. I thought I did a good job, battling hard and fighting for every point. Fortunately, I was able to figure out a way to come through in the end.”

By virtue of this victory, the former World No.5 reached his first ATP semifinal of the year. Awaiting the South African is top seed Alexander Bublik, who wasted little time in acquiring a 6-2 6-4 win over Jason Jung. A runner-up at Newport in 2019, Bublik is seeking to go one step further and win his first tour-level title.