John Isner wins 499th tiebreaker, reaches Dallas Open quarters

Associated PressFeb 10, 2023, 12:33 AM EST

Getty Images

DALLAS – John Isner extended his record by winning his 499th career tiebreaker, advancing to the quarterfinals of his hometown Dallas Open with a 6-3, 7-6 (1) victory over Daniel Altmaier.

Isner won the final seven points after falling behind 1-0 in the tiebreaker, getting two of his 18 aces. The fifth-seeded American reached the semifinals of the inaugural Dallas event last year.

Another 2022 semifinalist, top-seeded American Taylor Fritz, joined Isner in the quarters with a 7-6 (5), 6-4 victory over wild-card entry Jack Sock of the United States.

Isner got the only break of his match for a 4-2 lead in the first set, then closed out the set at love on his serve.

The second-round victory came after Isner won both tiebreakers in a straight-sets victory over Chun-Hsin Tseng. The big-serving Isner won the final six points of the second tiebreaker against Tseng. Roger Federer is second in career tiebreaker victories with 466.

Isner will face Emilio Gomez, who rallied to oust fourth-seeded Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4.

Fritz’s quarterfinal opponent is seventh-seeded American Marcos Giron, a 6-4, 6-3 winner over Germany’s Oscar Otte.

No. 8 seed Adrian Mannarino of Italy advanced to the quarters with a 6-2, 7-6 (3) victory over Australia’s Jordan Thompson.

Mannarino will face China’s Yibing Wu, who beat third-seeded Canadian Denis Shapovalov 7-6 (1), 6-4.

Isner was up 3-1 in the tiebreaker when Altmaier lost a second consecutive point on his serve by getting to a volley from Isner but sending it wide, the German slamming his racket in frustration.

After an ace and a volley winner from Isner, Altmaier was wide on a drop shot on match point.

“I played a great tiebreaker just now to win the match, and I played a great tiebreaker my first-round win as well,” said Isner, whose home is a few blocks from the indoor venue on the SMU campus.

Fritz, who had a bye in the first round, won the final two points of a tight first-set tiebreaker, got the only break of the match to start the second set and advanced on his third match point. Fritz, ranked eighth, beating Sock in this event for the second consecutive year.

Elena Rybakina hits 10 aces in Miami for 12th straight win

Associated PressMar 28, 2023, 9:50 PM EDT

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina extended her winning streak to 12 matches by delivering 10 aces – her fourth consecutive outing with at least that many – in a 6-3, 6-0 victory over 25th-seeded Martina Trevisan in the Miami Open quarterfinals.

Rybakina has 46 aces through four matches at the hard-court tournament in Florida and a WTA-leading 201 this season.

The 23-year-old, who represents Kazakhstan, improved to 20-4 in 2023, including a run to the Australian Open final in January and a title at Indian Wells, California, last week.

She is trying to become only the fifth player to win the women’s trophies at Indian Wells and Miami in the same season. Top-ranked Iga Swiatek did it a year ago; she withdrew from Miami this time because of a rib injury.

“Of course it would be amazing to achieve something like that,” the 10th-seeded Rybakina said about the prospect of completing what’s known as the Sunshine Double, “but it’s still far away.”

So far in Rybakina’s career, 13 of her 18 semifinal appearances have come on hard courts. She will face No. 3 Jessica Pegula for a berth in the final after the American fought off two match points and outlasted No. 27 Anastasia Potapova 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (2) in a match that ended just before 1:30 a.m. after play had been delayed by rain.

“I haven’t been that physically tired in just a really long time,” Pegula said. “Just the humidity was taking so much out of me, and I haven’t been able to play in humidity like that in a while. It was just really tough, so really, it was just pure will.”

Trevisan reached the French Open semifinals in 2022.

In fourth-round men’s action Tuesday, No. 2 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas was beaten 7-6 (4), 6-4 by No. 14 Karen Khachanov, while defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz and Jannik Sinner all beat seeded opponents in straight sets.

Alcaraz, who returned to No. 1 in the ATP rankings last week, got past Australian Open semifinalist Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-4 to set up a meeting against Fritz, the top-ranked American man and seeded ninth in Miami.

Fritz compiled twice as many winners, 22, as unforced errors, 11, and only dropped serve once during a 6-3, 6-4 victory over No. 7 Holger Rune. That put Fritz into his first quarterfinal in seven appearances in Miami – and his first matchup against Alcaraz, a 19-year-old from Spain who won the U.S. Open in September for his first Grand Slam title.

“I’m really excited for it,” Fritz said. “I think that a lot of people are really excited for that, too.”

No. 10 Sinner eliminated No. 6 Andrey Rublev 6-2, 6-4 and has yet to drop a set in the tournament.

Sinner’s next opponent will be unseeded Emil Ruusuvuori, a 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 winner against No. 26 Botic van de Zandschulp.

No. 4 Daniil Medvedev, forced to start late and off his scheduled court after the rain, beat Quentin Halys 6-4, 6-2. He will face American Christopher Eubanks, who edged Adrian Mannarino in a pair of tiebreakers.

Khachanov will play Francisco Cerundolo, a semifinalist in Miami last year, in the other men’s quarterfinal.

Fritz, Sinner reach Miami Open quarterfinals with 2-set wins

Associated PressMar 28, 2023, 4:31 PM EDT

Getty Images

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Taylor Fritz and Jannik Sinner beat seeded opponents in straight sets at the Miami Open to move into the quarterfinals.

No. 9 Fritz compiled twice as many winners, 22, as unforced errors, 11, and only dropped serve once during a 6-3, 6-4 victory over No. 7 Holger Rune.

That put Fritz, the highest-ranked American man, into his first quarterfinal in seven appearances at the hard-court tournament.

He will face either No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz or Australian Open semifinalist Tommy Paul next. Alcaraz is the defending champion in Miami.

No. 10 Sinner eliminated No. 6 Andrey Rublev 6-2, 6-4 and has yet to drop a set in the tournament.

Sinner’s next opponent will be No. 26 Botic van de Zandschulp or unseeded Emil Ruusuvuori.