John Isner cruises past Adrian Mannarino to enter quarters – Newport ATP 2013
Local star, John Isner, devastated the French challenger, Adrian Mannarino, with a bagel at the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships 2013 on Wednesday. He jolted down a 6-0, 7-6(7) victory against the Frenchman to secure a place in the final eight at this grass
court event taking place in Newport, Rhode Island.
Seeded second in this event, Isner barely sweated in the opening set and subsequently pocketed the match at the International Tennis Hall of Fame. The players last met each other at the Wimbledon Championships last month but Isner was forced to withdraw
due to an injury.
The two-time defending champion, Isner reeled off six straight games in the start of the match. He unleashed barrage of winners and eventually pulled out the opener with a bagel.
Ranked 19th in the Emirates Airways ATP World Tour Rankings, Isner maintained consistency in his game in the following set. He swiftly held his entire serves but failed to capitalise on any break chance. The set went to a tie-breaker where the 6’9” American
edged past Mannarino and clinched the set with a 7-6(7) score line.
Next in queue for Isner is the Croatian contender, Ivo Karlovic, in the quarter-finals.
“This certainly could be a match that can come down to just a point here and there,” said the in-form American, who has lost two of their three previous meetings. “The main thing for me is to focus and hold onto my serve as much as I can.”
The Croat went off-track in the second set but re-gained his strength to outclass Canada’s Vasek Pospisil in a three-set thriller.
“I was tired,” the Croat reflected in a post match press conference. “I just felt really down fitness-wise because I was out for a long time, so now every match is difficult, but hopefully the ups and downs will be less and less every week. I really didn’t
know that I would be back, so now it is a good feeling out there because I feel no stress. I’m not even supposed to be here so it’s like a bonus. I just feel good.”
The 34-year-old availed two early break opportunities to leap to a 4-1 lead. Despite squandering his serve in the very next game, Karlovic stayed calm and bagged the opening set with a 6-4 score line.
Karlovic lost his serve twice in the proceeding set and lost the set with a breadstick. However, he sought his momentum again and ultimately sealed the deal with a 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 victory.
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