NADAL SURVIVES IN PARIS, FEDERER BOUNCED OUT BY ISNER BY RICKY DIMON

Written by: on 5th November 2015
BNP Paribas 2015 Masters Tennis Tournament
NADAL SURVIVES IN PARIS, FEDERER BOUNCED OUT BY ISNER BY RICKY DIMON

epa05013279 Sweat drips from the nose of Rafael Nadal of Spain during a round of sixteen match against Kevin Anderson of South Africa at the BNP Paribas 2015 Masters tennis tournament in Paris, France, 05 November 2015. EPA/YOAN VALAT  |

John Isner pulled off a 7-6(3), 3-6, 7-6(5) upset of Roger Federer during third-round action at the BNP Paribas Masters on Thursday afternoon. Rafael Nadal almost followed Federer out of the tournament to cap off the night session, but the Spaniard saved one match point to overcome Kevin Anderson 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-2.

 

“In my opinion he’s the greatest player of all time,” Isner said of Federer. “It was an incredible honor to share that court with him today.

 

Of course, Isner did a lot more than just share the court with Federer. He served the 17-time major champion right off it. Isner did not earn a single break (although he did generate six chances), but he blasted 27 aces without double-faulting a single time.

 

“It was a great match for me and a good one to win,” the 6’10” American assured. “It was a lot of fun. He’s an incredible player, obviously; my favorite player…. It was a huge win for me. I’m very proud I was able to get it done.”

John Isner of US serves the ball to Roger Federer of Switzerland during their round of sixteen match at the BNP Paribas 2015 Masters tennis tournament in Paris, France, 05 November 2015. EPA/YOAN VALAT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I thought he did very well today when he needed it,” Federer said of Isner. “(In) the ‘breakers, he served great. Those are the ones he needed. This is how it happens against John. It’s always [on] his racket; especially indoors. And today he served as he had to–230 (kmh) on the very important points. Everyone would like to have what he has.”

 

A similarly tense encounter saw Nadal outlast Anderson after two hours and 26 minutes. The underdog South African had a match point on Nadal’s serve at 6-5 in the second-set tiebreaker, but the Spaniard saved it with a well-placed forehand at the end of an extended rally.

 

Next up for Nadal is a Friday quarterfinal against Stan Wawrinka.

The two veterans will be facing each other for the 16th time in their careers and for the second time this fall. Nadal extended his head-to-head series dominance to 13-2 by hammering Wawrinka 6-2, 6-1 in last month’s Shanghai quarters. The former world No. 1 is 8-1 on hard courts (2-0 indoors), with his only such loss coming in the 2014 Australian Open final. Wawrinka’s second victory came earlier this season on the clay courts of Rome via a 7-6(7), 6-2 decision.

Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland in action against Viktor Troicki of Serbia during a round of sixteen match at the BNP Paribas 2015 Masters tennis tournament in Paris, France, 05 November 2015. EPA/YOAN VALAT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wawrinka has advanced this week with straight-set defeats of Bernard Tomic and Viktor Troicki. The fourth-ranked Swiss is 11-2 this fall and bouncing back nicely from a first-round Basel loss to Ivo Karlovic.

 

As for Isner, he will battle Ferrer for a semifinal spot on Friday. The eighth-ranked Spaniard is leading the head-to-head series 5-1. Isner, though, won their only previous indoor hard-court clash 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 and it came at the same stage of this same Paris event in 2011.

 

Ferrer has already secured a place at the World Tour Finals, while Isner will surpass Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to be invited as the second alternate if he wins this match.

 

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand.

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