ANDY MURRAY crashed out of the US Open in the fourth round Monday, making his earliest Grand Slam exit since 2010 to end his run of 18 consecutive major quarterfinals.

    South African 15th seed Kevin Anderson stunned the British third seed 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, 6-7 (2/7), 7-6 (7/0) to reach his first Grand Slam quarterfinal.

    Not since a third-round exit in the 2010 U.S. Open had Murray been eliminated so early at a Grand Slam tournament.

    Anderson, 1-5 in prior matches against Murray, ended an 0-15 career hoodoo against top-10 opponents and an 0-7 hex in fourth-round Slam matches to book a last-eight date with Swiss fifth seed Stan Wawrinka, the reigning French Open champion.

    “I’m just so excited to be through,” said Anderson. “Beating a guy like Andy, I really feel like I’ve taken a step forward. It’s amazing. I feel like it’s a great accomplishment.”

    Wawrinka defeated U.S. left-hander Donald Young 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4.

    He dropped his first set of the tournament but reached an eighth quarterfinal in his past nine Grand Slams, denying 68th-ranked Young his first Slam quarter-final.

    Anderson is the first South African in New York’s last 16 since Wayne Ferreira in 2002.

    He came in off a third career title at Winston-Salem.

    With New York City FC and former England midfielder Frank Lampard watching from the player’s box, Murray fell behind two sets and a break, roared back, but ultimately could not win the tension-packed encounter.

    Big-serving Anderson ripped a forehand winner on the final point of the opening tie-break to take the set after 69 minutes, then broke Murray’s first service game of the second set on the way to a 5-1 edge.

    Murray broke back and held and had a break chance in the ninth game, but Anderson saved it and finally took the set on his fifth chance, ripping his 12th ace of the match up the middle.

    “You get these grey areas all the time,” Murray said. “They just exploit them and you do nothing.”

    Down two sets and a break, Murray answered the call, breaking Anderson’s next two service games before surrendering a break and holding to the tie-break, in which he jumped ahead 5-1 and later ended the 70-minute set with his 12th ace.

    (SD-Agencies)