Anderson survives scare to make winning return

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London, June 18: Second seed Kevin Anderson shook off some early rust to make a winning return to action at the Queen's Club Championships.

The South African had not played since his run to the quarter-finals in Miami in March because of an elbow injury.

A losing return in London looked a distinct possibility when he lost the first set to home hope Cameron Norrie.

But Anderson, a former Wimbledon and US Open finalist, made his class tell in the second and third set to complete a turnaround.

He sent down 19 aces and won 56 of his 60 first-serve points en route to a tight 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 win, which sets up a second-round clash with Gilles Simon, who needed a third-set tie-break to beat qualifier James Ward.

Defending champion Marin Cilic made relatively light work of Cristian Garin, prevailing 6-1 7-6 (7-5), and fourth seed Daniil Medvedev needed only an hour and 10 minutes to see off Fernando Verdasco 6-2 6-4.

Elsewhere in the draw there were straight-sets wins for Diego Schwartzman and Nicolas Mahut over Alexander Bublik and Frances Tiafoe.