JOHN ISNER, STEVIE JOHNSON SET UP “MUSTACHE MATCH” QUARTERFINAL, MONFILS ALSO ADVANCES IN WASHINGTON, D.C. TENNIS

Written by: Staff on 22nd July 2016

JOHN ISNER, STEVIE JOHNSON SET UP "MUSTACHE MATCH" QUARTERFINAL, MONFILS ALSO ADVANCES IN WASHINGTON, D.C. TENNIS

epa05435679 Steve Johnson of the US in action against Ryan Harrison of the US during a third round match at the CITI Open tennis tournament at the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center in Washington, DC USA, 21 July 2016. Johnson defeated Harrison EPA/ERIK S. LESSER |

By Ricky Dimon

Four Americans booked spots in the Citi Open quarterfinals by winning their third-round matches on Thursday, and two will go head-to-head on Friday. John Isner and Steve Johnson will be facing each other for a third consecutive year in Washington, D.C. after dominating their respective matches against Marcos Baghdatis and Ryan Harrison, respectively.

Isner improved to 8-0 lifetime against Marcos Baghdatis with a 7-6(3), 6-2 victory, while Johnson took care of Harrison 6-4, 6-4.

With both players sporting plenty of facial hair at the moment, Isner and Johnson said they agreed to shave their beards and play a “Mustache Match” in the quarters. The No. 1 seed and 2015 runner-up, however, is waffling.

“I might be backing out on my commitment a la Ted Cruz,” Isner joked. referring to Cruz’s unwillingness to support Donald Trump while speaking at the Republican National Convention.

John Isner of the US reacts against James Duckworth of Australia during a second round match at the CITI Open tennis tournament at the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center in Washington, DC, USA, 20 July 2016. EPA/ERIK S. LESSER

Whatever the case, an entertaining showdown should be in store for Friday. The previous two Washington, D.C. contests between these two friends and former college stars each needed third-set tiebreakers to be decided. Johnson got the job done 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-6(6) during second-round action in 2014 before Isner survived 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(9) in last summer’s semifinals.

Like those two victorious Americans, Gael Monfils had no trouble booking his spot in the last eight. The second-seeded Frenchman made quick 6-2, 6-3 work of Borna Coric in 54 minutes on Thursday evening.

Rounding out the quarterfinal lineup are Sam Querrey, Jack Sock, Alexander Zverev, Benoit Paire, and Ivo Karlovic, meaning exactly half of the remaining competitors are Americans. Querrey defeated Alexandr Dolgopolov 7-6(5), 6-3, while Sock beat Daniel Evans 6-1, 7-5.

The wildest third-round match on Thursday came in the nightcap, with Paire outlasting Gilles Muller 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(4).

Highlight-reel moments appeared to reach a zenith at 1-1 in the second set, when Paire hit a forward-facing tweener lob that sent the Muller scrambling to the baseline. The Luxembourgian responded with a far more necessary tweener, which he sent blazing past Paire. The Frenchman got a racket on it but could not put it back in play.

But perhaps the craziest and most important point of the match took place with Paire serving at 5-5, 30-40 in the third. Having already saved break points at 0-40, and 30-40, the fourth seed amazingly tracked down a Muller drop-shot, also retrieved a perfect lob, and then won the point when a backhand that looked to be going well long was left by Muller only to land right on top the baseline. Paire held serve two points later and later battled back from a 4-2 hole in the ensuing tiebreaker by winning the last five points of the match, two thanks to shots off the net cord.