Isner Stops Roddick To Reach Final; Benneteau Edges Haase

© Getty ImagesJohn Isner will contest his third final of the summer.

Hometown hero John Isner defeated Davis Cup teammate Andy Roddick Friday to advance to the final of the inaugural Winston-Salem Open in North Carolina. Isner avenged his loss to Roddick on hard court earlier in the year in Indian Wells, with a 7-6(7), 6-4 win. In Saturday’s final Isner will meet French qualifier Julien Benneteau.

"It’s nice to be through to the final," said Isner. "I was just looking forward to coming back home because it had been eight months, since Christmas, that I’d been in the state of North Carolina. Physically I felt pretty good coming into this event, even though this is my fourth event in a row. I definitely wanted to do well here, it’s such an important event for me. I want to go up to New York with some momentum and that’s what I have right now."

Isner, who grew up in neighbouring Greensboro, dropped serve to fall behind 1-3 in the second set but broke back immediately and ultimately won five of the final six games of the match to record his second victory over Roddick. Former World No. 1 Roddick had not faced a break point in 34 service games during the tournament up to when Isner broke him for the first time in the fifth game of the second set. Roddick conceded just five points on his first serve during the match but in the second set he failed to win any of the eight points on his second serve.

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A telling difference in the match was the second serve of both players. Isner served aggressively and won 61% of points on his second serve, while Roddick won just 30% of second serve points during the match.

"I was flat out just luckier than he was in the first set," admitted Isner. "After the first three games of the second set I was able to regroup. I was able to put some returns back in play, play aggressively and next thing you know we’re dead even again."

Roddick, who finds himself outside the Top 20 for the first time in 10 years, was attempting to reach his first final since winning the Memphis title in February.

"Besides the two games he broke me, I don’t know if he won a point against my serve; it’s just a matter of if he gets them in a row," said Roddick. "I’m sad because I feel like I played the better first set, but he definitely played better in the second set. But to get four matches...I haven’t played four matches in a week since February or March. So I think this week served its purpose for me as far as preparation for the US Open."

Isner is chasing his second ATP World Tour title of the North American summer after winning in Newport in July. He also reached the final in Atlanta and the semi-finals of Washington.

World No. 113 Benneteau became the first qualifier this season to reach an ATP World Tour final as he saved match points for the second day in a row to defeat the in-form Robin Haase 3-6, 7-6(7), 7-6(6). Having survived match point to edge Sergiy Stakhovsky in the quarter-finals, the Frenchman rallied from a 4-6 deficit in the third set tie-break against Haase to claim victory in two hours and 31 minutes, ending the Dutchman’s eight-match winning streak.

"At 6-5 down in the third set tie-break, I thought to myself, ‘I cannot lose this point, I have to win this point,’ and thankfully he made a mistake," recalled Benneteau. "After that the momentum changed and he double faulted. It’s a very, very good win; I’m very happy. Now I just want to recover as much as possible tonight to be ready for tomorrow."

The 29-year-old Benneteau will look to win his first ATP World Tour title after runner-up efforts in Lyon and Casablanca in 2008, in Kitzbuhel in 2009, and in Marseille last year. He will play Isner for the first time in the championship match.