Top-seeded Isner advances at Newport Top seed and defending champion John Isner beat qualifier Sergei Bubka of the Ukraine 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-3 in the first round at the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships on Tuesday. Isner, ranked 11th in the world entering the week, is slated to face Nicolas Mahut in the next round. The pair met in the longest match in tennis history — 11 hours, 5 minutes before Isner’s 70-68 fifth-set victory in 2010 at Wimbledon.
“We can’t avoid each other on grass,” Isner joked about his pairing against Mahut. “I should have won my first-round match at Wimbledon (last month) and we would have faced each other.”
But Isner knows he has to play better to advance. He felt like he was having trouble with Newport’s grass surface most of the match against Bubka.
“I didn’t quite have my feet under me,” he said. “I wasn’t used to the court. That’s something that comes with playing matches.”
In the third game of the final set, Isner struggled to hold serve. When the game was over, the crowd became noticeably louder, trying to help him pick up momentum.
After Bubka double-faulted in the eighth game, Isner closed it with a backhand winner, going up 5-3 in the set. He closed out the match with a service winner.
Second-seeded Kei Nishikori also advanced with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Igor Sijsling from Netherlands.
In the first match of the day on center court, Nishikori was steady but unspectacular under nearly ideal weather conditions of mostly blue skies.
By climbing up the ATP rankings, Nishikori realizes he’s been gaining a lot more attention at home because of his recent success. The 22-year old advanced to the third round at Wimbledon last month.
In other first-round play, third-seeded Milos Raonic of Canada rallied past Australian Matthew Ebden 3-6, 6-3, 7-5; American Sam Querrey, continuing his comeback from elbow surgery last year, ousted No. 5-seeded Alex Bogomolov Jr. of Russia 7-5, 7-6 (5); American Tim Smyczek beat No. 4 Denis Istomin 6-3, 6-3; and 2009 Newport champion Rajeev Ram defeated Grega Zemlja 6-3, 6-1.
Izak Van Der Merwe outlasted eighth-seeded Gilles Muller 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-4; and Jesse Levine beat Marinko Matosevic 6-2, 7-6 (8) and former No. 1 ranked Lleyton Hewitt coasted by Canada’s Vasek Pospisil 6-1, 6-1.
Success for younger Radwanska in Stanford
In Stanford, California, Poland’s Urszula Radwanska took a leaf out of her older sister Agnieszka’s book by delivering a battling 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Eleni Daniilidou in the first round of the Stanford Classic on Tuesday. Urszula had to watch her older sister contest the Wimbledon final on television on Saturday, and while it was an emotional day watching the new world No. 2 lose to Serena Williams in three sets, it did not deter her from own task on Tuesday.
She struggled for most of the match against the veteran Daniilidou, but in the end was the more aggressive and accurate player on the big points.
The 20-year-old will face eighth seed Marina Erakovic in the second round after the New Zealander beat Jana Juricova of Slovakia 6-2 6-2.
““It was a very tough match,” Radwanska said. ““I played her in Tashkent and it was also 6-4 in the third set. I was trying to be solid and attack her backhand and hold my serve.
“She plays more like a man with a big serve and big forehand and a slice backhand.”
Radwanska, who reached a career high ranking of No. 54 last month, is a more aggressive player than her older sister, who relies more on guile and speed to win matches. Urszula mixed in some serve and volley with her baseline game.
““My dad always said in important moments to serve and go to the net and the girls will be surprised, they won’t know what to do,” she said.
Urszula said it had been an emotional day watching her older sister lose in her fist Grand Slam final.
““I wish I could have been there with her, but I have my own career and had to come here,” she said. ““When she cried, I started crying. It was emotional. She’s usually not that emotional. On court usually she’s serious, a poker face and not showing emotions at all.”
Romanian Sorana Cirstea also advanced on Tuesday, beating American Vania King 7-5 6-4.
Nicole Gibbs, who plays at Stanford University, overcame Noppawan Lertcheewakarn of Thailand 6-4 6-4 and will face top seed and Wimbledon champion Serena Williams on Wednesday.
Gibbs’ doubles partner, Mallory Burdette, defeated Britain’s Anne Keothavong 2-6 7-5 6-4.