Anderson loses first match of 2017

Cape Town - South African tennis hopeful Kevin Anderson's first match of 2017 ended in defeat at the hands of Bosnia's Damir Dzumhur at the Memphis Open on Monday.

The unseeded Bosnian eked out a 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 victory over the South African No 1.

Dzumhur, the world No 86, rallied from a set and 3-1 down to seal the two-hour, 38-minute result.

Anderson, who reached the final in his last Memphis appearance two years ago before losing 6-4, 6-4 to Japan’s Kei Nishikori, was playing his first match of the season after a hip injury.

The 30-year-old was ranked as high as No 10 in the ATP Rankings in 2015 before an injury-plagued 2016 saw his ranking drop significantly.

He is currently ranked 74th in the world by the ATP.

Results on the first day of the ATP Memphis Open on Monday:

First round

Donald Young (USA) bt Adrian Mannarino (FRA x6) 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/4)

Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) bt Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) 6-4, 6-4

Damir Dzumhur (BIH) bt Kevin Anderson (RSA) 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 (7/2), 6-4