MELBOURNE, Australia — Rafael Nadal stayed in contention for his second Australian Open title six years after his first with a 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 fourth-round win Sunday over Kevin Anderson.
The 2009 Australian Open winner turned around the first set — and ultimately the match — in the 11th and 12th games.
Nadal saved five break points, clinching the game with an ace and service winner to go ahead 6-5. In the next, he broke Anderson’s serve, clinching the set when the South African hit a volley awkwardly into the net.
The two-game turnaround appeared to deflate the 2.03 meter (6-foot, 8 inch) Anderson, who won only five more games in the match.
The third-seeded Nadal, who lost last year’s final to Stan Wawrinka, will play No. 7 Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals.
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