Isner Wins Thriller Against Blake In Atlanta

© Brandon Feusner/Atlanta Tennis Chps.Anderson improved to a 17-7 record on hard courts this season with Wednesday's win.

No. 3 seed John Isner wowed spectators at the Atlanta Tennis Championships on Wednesday evening, outlasting fellow American James Blake 7-6(8), 6-7(3), 7-5 in a second-round clash.

The 6’ 9’’ University of Georgia graduate fired 32 aces and saved seven of the eight break points he faced to overcome Blake in two hours and 50 minutes. Isner broke the 31 year old in the 11th game of the third set, and served out the final game at love to claim victory in the pair’s first meeting.

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Blake was looking to reach his first ATP World Tour quarter-final of the season, having won two titles on the ATP Challenger Tour.

Isner advances to his second straight quarter-final after winning his first title of the year at the Campbell’s Hall Of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport (d. Rochus). The 2010 Atlanta finalist next faces Yen-Hsun Lu, who rallied past qualifier Marinko Matosevic 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 in two hours and eight minutes.

Second-seeded Kevin Anderson dismissed American Michael Russell 6-1, 7-5 to reach the quarter-finals for the second year in a row.

The South African fired 10 aces, winning 76 per cent of his service points, and broke Russell four times to lock up the victory in one hour and 25 minutes. With the win, Anderson avenges an earlier season loss to the American in the first round of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event at Indian Wells.

The World No. 34 advances to his sixth quarter-final of the season, having claimed his first ATP World Tour title in Johannesburg in February (d. Devvarman).

Luxembourg's Gilles Muller capitalised on his two break points in the decisive set to earn a 7-6(6), 2-6, 6-2 win over American wild card Robby Ginepri in one hour and 56 minutes. He is through to his first quarter-final since the 2008 US Open, when he reached the last eight as a qualifer (l. to Federer).