Tennis: Isner, Rochus advance to final

NEWPORT: Top-seed John Isner and Belgian sixth-seed Olivier Rochus advanced to the final of the ATP Hall of Fame Championships with straight-set semi-final victories. Isner defeated Germany’s Tobias Kamke 7-5, 7-6 while Rochus downed US qualifier Michael Yani 6-2, 6-4. The lanky 26-year-old Isner, who has not lost a set all week and has dropped his serve only once, won his only career ATP title at Auckland last year but has advanced to his sixth career final, his first on grass. It will be his first final since losing to Fish last July at Atlanta.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 11^th, 2011.