Cape Town - South Africa's Kevin Anderson bowed out of the Australian Open on Tuesday after retiring in his first round match against America's Rajeev Ram.
Ram was leading the encounter 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (7/4), 6-3, 3-0 when the 11th-ranked South African called it quits.
Anderson, 29, has been struggling with a knee injury of late and was also forced to pull out of the Chennai Open in India at the start of the year.
It is a frustrating start to the year for Anderson, who enjoyed a stellar 2015 by breaking into the world’s top 10 for the first time. He also reached a maiden Grand Slam quarter-final at the US Open when he defeated Britain’s Andy Murray in the Round of 16.
Kevin Anderson smashes his racquet in frustration... (AP)