Isner Sweats Out First Major Quarterfinal Bid

John Isner sweated through 10 shirts and had to send someone to go get him more en rout to his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the U.S. Open.

The 26-year-old American won three tiebreakers to beat 12th-seeded Gilles Simon 7-6 (2), 3-6, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (4) on a humid Thursday afternoon.

The big-serving Isner got broken five times, a high number for him and usually a very bad sign. Isner, seeded 28th, still won in four sets. “That’s pretty encouraging,” he said.

With his powerful serve, the 6-foot-9 (2.06-meter) Isner tends to excel in tiebreakers, posting a 30-19 record this year coming into the match. He had the extra advantage of Simon feeling discouraged going into the tiebreakers after blowing chances to win the sets earlier.

From: http://ping.fm/Dm8L5