Cape Town - South Africa's top tennis player, Kevin Anderson, has been ousted in the first round of the US Open by No 4 seed David Ferrer.
World No 34 Anderson, who just missed out on a seeding at the year's final Grand Slam in New York, struggled against the gritty Spaniard, going down in straight sets 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (7/3). Ferrer will next face Dutch qualifier Igor Sijsling for a place in the last 32.
Two weeks ago Anderson infuriated the South African public when he opted against representing his country in Davis Cup.
He made himself unavailable for the World Group playoff against Canada next month because of a proclaimed knee injury, but was then confirmed as an entrant in the lucrative World Team Tennis Finals extravaganza in Charleston, United States, at the same time (September 14-16) the Davis Cup tie is due to take place.
South African Davis Cup captain John-Laffnie de Jager at the time described the news as "shocking and inexplicable".
"I simply can't understand it," De Jager was quoted as saying.
Anderson's exit ended South Africa's participation at this year's event. Chanelle Scheepers - the country's top women's player - also lost in the first round, going down 6-2, 6-1 to Russian 14th seed Maria Kirilenko on Tuesday.
Latest results from the third day of the US Open on Wednesday (x denotes seeding):
Men
First round
Brian Baker (USA) bt Jan Hajek (CZE) 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
Grega Zemlja (SLO) bt Ricardo Mello (BRA) 7-5, 7-6 (7/3), 7-5
Cedrik-Marcel Stebe (GER) bt Viktor Troicki (SRB x29) 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
Igor Sijsling (NED) bt Daniel Gimeno (ESP) 7-5, 6-3, 6-4
David Ferrer (ESP x4) bt Kevin Anderson (RSA) 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (7/3)
Women
Second round
Victoria Azarenka (BLR x1) bt Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 6-2, 6-2
Zheng Jie (CHN x28) bt Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) 6-3, 6-1
Mandy Minella (LUX) bt Kristyna Pliskova (CZE) 6-4, 6-4
Varvara Lepchenko (USA x31) bt Anastasia Rodionova (AUS) 6-2, 6-2
Mallory Burdette (USA) bt Lucie Hradecka (CZE) 6-2, 6-4
Nadia Petrova (RUS x19) bt Simona Halep (ROM) 6-1, 6-1
Lucie Safarova (CZE x15) bt Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
World No 34 Anderson, who just missed out on a seeding at the year's final Grand Slam in New York, struggled against the gritty Spaniard, going down in straight sets 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (7/3). Ferrer will next face Dutch qualifier Igor Sijsling for a place in the last 32.
Two weeks ago Anderson infuriated the South African public when he opted against representing his country in Davis Cup.
He made himself unavailable for the World Group playoff against Canada next month because of a proclaimed knee injury, but was then confirmed as an entrant in the lucrative World Team Tennis Finals extravaganza in Charleston, United States, at the same time (September 14-16) the Davis Cup tie is due to take place.
South African Davis Cup captain John-Laffnie de Jager at the time described the news as "shocking and inexplicable".
"I simply can't understand it," De Jager was quoted as saying.
Anderson's exit ended South Africa's participation at this year's event. Chanelle Scheepers - the country's top women's player - also lost in the first round, going down 6-2, 6-1 to Russian 14th seed Maria Kirilenko on Tuesday.
Latest results from the third day of the US Open on Wednesday (x denotes seeding):
Men
First round
Brian Baker (USA) bt Jan Hajek (CZE) 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
Grega Zemlja (SLO) bt Ricardo Mello (BRA) 7-5, 7-6 (7/3), 7-5
Cedrik-Marcel Stebe (GER) bt Viktor Troicki (SRB x29) 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
Igor Sijsling (NED) bt Daniel Gimeno (ESP) 7-5, 6-3, 6-4
David Ferrer (ESP x4) bt Kevin Anderson (RSA) 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (7/3)
Women
Second round
Victoria Azarenka (BLR x1) bt Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 6-2, 6-2
Zheng Jie (CHN x28) bt Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) 6-3, 6-1
Mandy Minella (LUX) bt Kristyna Pliskova (CZE) 6-4, 6-4
Varvara Lepchenko (USA x31) bt Anastasia Rodionova (AUS) 6-2, 6-2
Mallory Burdette (USA) bt Lucie Hradecka (CZE) 6-2, 6-4
Nadia Petrova (RUS x19) bt Simona Halep (ROM) 6-1, 6-1
Lucie Safarova (CZE x15) bt Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2