Tennis: Isner wins Delray Beach opener

DELRAY BEACH: Top-seed John Isner eased through his Delray Beach International Championships’ opening match, but second-seed Marin Cilic and third-seed Viktor Troicki exited after losing in three sets. World number 11 Isner needed a 32-point second-set tie-break to oust US wildcard Jesse Levine 6-4, 7-6. Meanwhile, Cilic - competing in his first event of the season - lost to Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. Troicki also failed at the first hurdle as he lost his serve seven times en route to a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 defeat at the hands of Belgian Steve Darcis.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 1^st, 2012.