John Isner outlasts Kevin Anderson to lift the title – BB&T Atlanta Open 2013
In an epic final between top two players, John Isner prevailed over the second seed, Kevin Anderson, in three sets at the BB&T Atlanta Open 2013 on Sunday. He summed up a 6-7(3), 7-6(2), 7-6(2) victory against the South African number one to grab his seventh
title at this Emirates Airways US Open t event taking place in Atlanta.
The top seeded American made a sloppy start and gifted away the opening set in the tie-breaker. However, he stayed calm and stomped over Anderson by prevailing in two tie-breakers in two hours and 54 minutes. As a result, Isner bagged $98,700 in prize money
and earned 250 ATP ranking points.
"I’ve been on the wrong end of a final that close before - maybe not three tie-breakers close, but super close, having match point, having a lot of chances - so it feels good to be on the other end of that. I never wavered. I believed that even at 0/40 that
I could still hold on and was able to come up with the goods."
The 27-year-old carefully played in the opening set and not only bagged his entire serves but dominated in the tie-breaker to click the opener with a 7-6(3) win.
Isner sought his rhythm afterwards and displayed solid performance. He warded off resilience posed by the South African and ruled in the tie-breakers of following two sets to clinch the trophy.
This was the tallest final in the history of ATP World Tour as 6’10” Isner took on 6’8” South African. Both challengers were facing each other for the 10th time and after securing this victory, the American extended his lead in the FedEx ATP Head
2 Head series by 6-4 against Anderson.
This was also the first ATP final with no breaks of serve and three tie-breakers since Milos Raonic and Janko Tipsarevic in January last season. Anderson squandered two match points in the second set before bowing out to the top seed.
"I was holding easily and trying to give myself chances, which I did. Just wasn’t able to capitalise on them. That was the difference today," the jubilant South African reflected in a post match presser. "He stays in there. He serves well, he plays well
when it matters, and he definitely played two better tie-breaks than me."
Both players are bidding for the trophy at the Citi Open in Washington D.C., an ATP World Tour 500 series event.
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