Stan Wawrinka
Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland celebrates after defeating Donald Young of the U.S. in their fourth round match at the U.S. Open Championships tennis tournament in New York, September 7, 2015. REUTERS/Adrees Latif REUTERS/Adrees Latif

Stan Wawrinka will attempt to settle his head-to-head record with Kevin Anderson when they play for a spot in the final four at the 2015 US Open. Both players have advanced in the quarterfinal after winning their respective fourth round matches at Flushing Meadows. Anderson leads 4-3 in their head-to-head series.

Wawrinka beat local favourite Donald Young 6-4 1-6 6-3 6-4 in the fourth round to advance at Flushing Meadows. It marks the Swiss’ 11th quarterfinal appearance in a grand slam tournament. It is also Wawrinka’s sixth consecutive trip to a grand slam quarterfinal and his fourth US Open quarterfinal. This season, the two-time Swiss grand slam champion has made it to the last eight of a grand slam event (Australian Open semifinal, French Open champion, and Wimbledon quarterfinal). Wawrinka is now 30-10 at the US Open after scoring his fourth round victory.

Wawrinka had only dropped one set at this year’s US Open. He had combined 56 aces, 208 winners, and 191 unforced errors from his previous matches. The 2014 Australian Open champion is bidding to win his second title this season after winning his maiden Roland Garros title in June.

Up next for Wawrinka is Kevin Anderson, who caused one of the biggest upsets in the tournament. The 15th-ranked South African player dismissed third seed and 2012 US Open champion Andy Murray in four sets on Louis Armstrong Stadium on day eight of the main draw.

This is the first time that Anderson has become a quarterfinalist in a grand slam tournament. He had never gone past the fourth round of such prestige tennis event since turning professional in 2008.

The 29-year-old Johannesburg native struck 94 aces, 208 winners, and 153 unforced errors as he battled past qualifier Andrey Rublev, wild card Austin Krajicek, 20th seed Dominic Thiem, and British tennis star Andy Murray. This is the first time that Anderson plays Wawrinka in a grand slam event. Anderson won in their last four meetings. Seven of their last 11 sets went to tiebreaks. Their last match happened in the round of 16 of grasscourt event at Queen’s Club in London, where Anderson won 7-6 7-6.

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