Washington Open: Top seeds Isner, Stosur ousted in quarter-finals

Both threw away lead in respective tie-breakers

WASHINGTON: Top seeds John Isner and Samantha Stosur were ousted from the ATP and WTA Washington Open in Friday’s quarter-finals, each paying the price for squandering leads in tie-breakers.

Isner unleashed a 29-ace barrage at US fifth seed Steve Johnson but failed to capitalise on five set points in the first set and seven in the second in falling 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (17/15).

“Those were very easily tie-breakers I could have won but I didn’t,” said Isner. “I had countless chances. I did a lot of really great things. I put more pressure on him than he did on me. It didn’t pay off.”



Isner made his first double fault on the penultimate point, then smacked a forehand wide to hand Johnson the victory after an hour and 57 minutes, the last 23 minutes of it in the tension-packed tie-breaker. “I shot myself in the foot in the second set,” said Isner.

Meanwhile, Australia’s Stosur, the 2011 US Open champion, lost 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 to US wildcard Jessica Pegula after dropping the last six tie-breaker points and losing the only break point of the second set.

“I was up 4-1 in the tie-breaker and let that go. Probably that was it,” said Stosur.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 24^th, 2016.

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