John Isner tops Ryan Harrison to enter final – Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships 2012
In an all-American clash, top seeded John Isner toppled his wildcard compatriot, Ryan Harrison, in straight sets at the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships 2012 on Saturday. He nudged up a 7-6(4), 6-3 victory against the 20-year-old to book a spot in the final showdown at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island.
The world number 11, Isner, warded off early resistance to outsmart the 20-year-old in their second meeting. After earning the victory in one hour and 25 minutes, the higher ranked American not only improved to a 2-0 lifetime in the FedEx ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) Head 2 Head series against Harrison but also inched closer towards his maiden year-to-date title.
“It’s feeling very similar to last year,” Isner stated after winning the match. “I wasn’t playing well and I was ranked in the 40s when I came here last year. I desperately needed some wins and confidence, and that’s exactly what I got. This year, it’s pretty much the same, although I’m ranked a lot higher than 46th. I didn’t play well in Europe. It’s as simple as that. I’m always most comfortable in the U.S., which is something I need to work on. This is where I play well the most.”
The opening set saw both stars displaying their best tennis at this outdoor grass court tournament. Isner smashed five aces and swiftly plucked his entire serves without encountering any barriers. However, he failed to seek any break chance and took the set to a tie-breaker. The higher seed dominated in it and pulled out the opener with a 7-6(4) score line.
The 27-year-old improved his game in the follow-up set and drew the first blood in the third game to jump to a 3-1 lead. He maintained consistency in his game and not only kept his remaining serves but cashed in another break chance in the last game, eventually sealing the set with a 6-3 win.
All in all, Isner fired 11 aces and clobbered a better first serve share of 68 per cent as compared to his rival’s 61 per cent. He also impressively marked 33 out of 36 points on it and capitalised on two out of seven break chances to earn the glory.
Next up for Isner is the former world number one, Lleyton Hewitt, who battled past Rajeev Ram in three sets to set up this battle.
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