Kevin Anderson defeated James Ward of Great Britain 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to advance to round two of the Aegon Championships at Queens Club in London on Tuesday.
"It's always good to get through the first round, especially on grass," Anderson said after his win.
"It's the first time I've played on a grass surface where nobody else has played on it before so it was pretty special.
"I got onto a little bit of a rough start but I was really pleased with the way I finished, especially in the third set."
Anderson kept his cool throughout the match and said it took him a while to get into the contest.
"I think the challenge for me is trying to get involved in the match and today I was too passive but by the end, I was really involved."
Anderson rose four positions to 30th in the world tennis rankings this week, after he reached the third round of the French Open in Paris. – Sapa