Washington Open: Top seeds Isner, Stosur ousted in quarter-finals
Both threw away lead in respective tie-breakers
Isner smacked a forehand wide to hand Johnson the victory after an hour and 57 minutes. PHOTO: AFP
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.”
Tennis trio banned for match-fixing
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 24th, 2016.
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.”
Tennis trio banned for match-fixing
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 24th, 2016.