Delray Beach, FL, USA, 22 February 2014 | AFP

Australia’s Marinko Matosevic has fallen to South African fourth seed Kevin Anderson in the quarterfinals of the ATP Delray Beach Open in a rematch of the 2012 final.

Anderson fired 10 aces and connected on 61 per cent of his first serves in a 6-7(3) 6-3 6-3 victory over his 55th-ranked rival, who had nine aces but also six double-faults and only a 49 per cent first-serve success rate in Florida on Friday.

Seeking his second Delray Beach title in three years and third ATP career crown, Anderson advanced to a Saturday clash with US qualifier Steve Johnson, who eliminated Spanish sixth seed Feliciano Lopez 6-3 6-2 in 73 minutes.

Anderson, who lives nearby, surrendered only one break over two hours and 23 minutes in improving to 12-3 all time at Delray Beach and 3-0 against Matosevic.

“I’ve played him a couple times before and it’s a battle each time,” Anderson said. “I just hung in there and finally got that breakthrough in the second set. It was gusty and it was tough to get a rhythm.

“I’m in the semis and that’s a great feeling.”

Anderson’s only other title came in 2011 on home soil in Johannesburg.

In later quarterfinals, US second seed John Isner will meet American qualifier Rhyne Williams and Croatian seventh seed Marin Cilic will face Russia’s Teymuraz Gabashvili.