Isner Keeps Title Defence Hopes Alive In Miami

24 March 2019 05:34
Reigning champion John Isner battled into the fourth round of the Miami Open presented by Itau on Sunday, defeating Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas 7-5, 7-6(6). Isner was broken to start the match. But the seventh seed responded in Ramos-Vinolas' second service game to dig into the match. He saved the next four break points he faced and struck 16 aces en route to a one-hour, 53-minute victory. Ramos-Vinolas has been a tricky opponent for Isner in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, with the players splitting three-setters in Rome in the past two years. But those clashes were on clay, and while five of their six previous sets went to tie-breaks, Isner needed just one in the second set to advance. The 2018 Nitto ATP Finals qualifier has found a good string of form after losing his first two matches of the season. Isner reached three consecutive ATP Tour semi-finals in New York, Delray Beach and Rio de Janeiro before losing to then-World No. 13 Karen Khachanov in the fourth round at Indian Wells. Isner will next face Indian Wells semi-finalist Milos Raonic or 19th seed Kyle Edmund. The American has won five of six matches against the 12th seed, who received a walkover in the second round. Isner has practised with Edmund in Miami, and they have split two FedEx ATP Head2Head meetingsreadfullarticle

Source: Atpworldtour