Isner beats Tomic, reaches quarters of New York Open
NEWYORK: John Isner made quick work of Australia’s Bernard Tomic to advance to the quarterfinals of the New York Open on Wednesday with a 7-6(7), 6-4 win.
The big-serving American sent down 27 aces, won 85 percent points on his first serve and did not face a single break point as he wrapped up the match in 74 minutes at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. “I definitely served very well,” Isner said after the match. “I was down a set point in the first set and I came up with three aces.
“I’m happy to be in the quarter-finals. Last year I lost my first match here, hopefully I continue to improve.”
Isner, who was knocked out in the first round of last month’s Australian Open, is the tournament’s top seed after South African Kevin Anderson withdrew with an elbow injury. In the quarter-finals, the American will face Australian seventh seed Jordan Thompson, who defeated Christopher Eubanks 4-6 6-1 6-4 earlier on Wednesday.
WAWRINKA IN LAST 8
ROTTERDAM: Swiss wildcard Stan Wawrinka booked a quarter-final place at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament with a 6-4 7-6(4) victory over Canadian fourth seed Milos Raonic on Wednesday.
Wawrinka, seeking his first title since undergoing knee surgery in 2017, will next face another Canadian for a place in the last four after Denis Shapovalov defeated Tomas Berdych 6-4 6-3 at the Ahoy arena in Rotterdam.
“Tonight was a really good level, that is for sure,” Wawrinka told reporters. “It is one of the best matches I have played in many months now. So far I have (played) two great matches (in Rotterdam), tonight was a great performance.”
Meanwhile, rising Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas said he “lost to himself” after suffering a shock defeat at the hands of Bosnian Damir Dzumhur on Wednesday.
The 20-year-old, who dumped out Roger Federer en route to the Australian Open semi-finals last month, saved two match points late in the third set but still slumped to a 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 loss.
“I lost to myself, not to him,” said the world number 12.
“The momentum was on my side but he kept putting the ball into the court and running.”
SHARAPOVA PULLS OUT
INDIANWELLS: Former world number one Maria Sharapova will miss next month’s BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells due to a right shoulder injury, organisers said on Wednesday.
The shoulder problem had also forced the 31-year-old to withdraw from her secondround match in St Petersburg, Russia last month.