US Open: Kevin Anderson defeats Jeremy Chardy in three sets, qualifies for third round

Fifth-seed Kevin Anderson advanced to the third round of the U.S. Open on Wednesday with a 6-2 6-4 6-4 victory over France's Jeremy Chardy.

The match was a relative sprint compared to the four hour, 14 minute-long first-round match that Anderson endured on Monday when he fought back to beat American Ryan Harrison.

Anderson used his superior height and wingspan to pick off Chardy's shots and deliver blisteringly fast serves, ut was not immune to the sweltering conditions plaguing competitors on the outdoor courts.

"It was pretty hot out here today, so the ball was flying around," Anderson said in an on-court interview. "Overall I felt I played a great match."

Earlier in the day, home fans rose to acclaim John Isner after he fought back to vanquish Chilean Nicolas Jarry 6-7(7) 6-4 3-6 7-6(2) 6-4 in a five-set second-round thriller. 

Isner relied on his power serve, delivering 38 aces in the match to surpass Roger Federer with the second-most career aces, ATP statistics showed.

Isner appeared to feed off the crowd's energy in the fifth set and thanked them for helping him across the line. 

"This right here is what the U.S. Open is all about," said Isner. "I couldn't have won this match without the support of you guys," he added, gesturing to the crowd.

The three hour and 38-minute match was comparatively light work for marathon man Isner, who in July lost a six hour and 36-minute Wimbledon semi-final to South Africa's Kevin Anderson and in 2010 won an 11 hour and five-minute match against Nicolas Mahut at the All England Club.