Atlanta legend John Isner struggled his way into another final in the American southeast, where he will face Ryan Harrison in a rematch from last year.
An at-times exhausted Isner defeated Matthew Ebden 6-4, 6-7, 6-1, capitalizing on a shocking display of serving from the Australian. The top seed hit an expected 26 aces, while Ebden appeared to struggle with a neck problem and tallied 15 double faults. The No. 4 seed double faulted away several break points and put just one first serve in play in the final set.
Isner, the four-time Atlanta champion, responded well to losing the second set, surviving a marathon baseline rally on break point at 0-1 in the final frame, eventually forcing Ebden to mash a forehand long. Isner added his second break on a double fault, then fittingly closed the match with an ace.
Early on, the American looked as though he would need far less less than two hours and two minutes to reach his eighth Atlanta final. He lost just eight points on serve in the first set and consolidated his lone break; he then jumped ahead in the second set when Ebden whacked a ball into the net on break point, but he broke right back to level the set and eventually win the tiebreak.
“It was tough. I do think I benefitted from my opponent not being 100 percent,” Isner, now in his fifth straight Atlanta final, said. “Just like yesterday, I was able to get out [ahead] in the third set, and that took some pressure off.
“I’m very happy to be back in the final here.”
Harrison, meanwhile, won a fourth consecutive match after losing the first set, defeating Cameron Norrie 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. The No. 8 seed came alive after winning just 46 percent of points on his serve in the opening set, saving break points at 2-2 in the second set before connecting on break point in the following game.
He served out the set at love, then went ahead in the first game of the third set when Norrie, making just his second tour semifinal, double faulted twice from 30-30. The Brit, suffering from an apparent stomach problem, then called for the doctor.
Harrison then had little trouble seeing out the bulk of the set, closing his second final appearance of the year with his eighth ace.
“I wanted to be as tough as I could out there,” Harrison said. “Early in that second set especially I started to take some of that built-up energy and just really start getting it going, and I was really fortunate to do it.”
