Johns Creek – Former Georgia Bulldog star John Isner continues to use his dogged determination to pull out victories.
Isner, famous for his propensity for the thrilling tennis match, won another three-setter on Saturday afternoon to reach the final of the Atlanta Tennis Championships. The No. 19 player in the world missed two match points in the second set but rebounded to outlast Kevin Anderson 6-3, 6-7(7), 6-3 in two hours and 29 minutes.
To the delight of the fans, Isner finds himself in the final of this inaugural event, a destination that seemed uncertain if not altogether improbable for the No. 2 seed just three days ago. Isner fought off two match points–one in each of the last two sets–in his Atlanta opener on Wednesday night before defeating Gilles Muller 4-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(7).
Anderson almost turned the tide on Isner in Saturday’s semifinals. After dropping the first set, the former University of Illinois standout faced two match points in the second-set tiebreaker but saved one with an ace and the next with a backhand passing shot. It was not until Anderson double-faulted on break point at 3-4 in the third set that Isner finally regained control of the match.
“The conditions were just brutal,” noted Isner, who led Georgia to the 2007 National Championship (ironically, over Anderson’s Illinois team in the final. “I stayed strong mentally. I was able to play through and pull it out.”
While Isner and Anderson had to play in scorching heat that made the on-court temperature feel way more than 100 degrees, Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish played in more tame conditions in the nightcap. Fish also made sure not to play an Isner-like marathon, as he got better and better as the match progressed to upset the No. 1 seed 7-6(5), 6-3 in one hour and 41 minutes.
“He played really well,” Roddick said of Fish, his best friend on the tour. “He deserves the majority of the credit. I got outplayed in the second set for sure.”
Fish ended an eight-match losing streak against Roddick and is now 2-9 lifetime against his fellow American. He has far less extensive history with Isner. Their only previous encounter came last year in San Jose, where Fish–in what is perhaps a harbinger of Sunday’s title match–prevailed 6-2, 6-7(4), 7-5 after more than two hours.
“It’s gonna be tough,” Isner said of his task against an on-fire Fish, who has won nine matches in a row having also captured the Newport title earlier this month. “Mardy is playing exceptionally well right now; maybe the best he’s played in a long time.”
Sunday’s final–sure to be a big-serving, hard-hitting affair–will take center stage at the Atlanta Athletic Club starting at 3:00 PM.
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