Two Aces Come To Isner's Rescue
Two Aces Come To Isner’s Rescue
Cilic looks to join fellow big-server Isner in third round
John Isner knows a thing or two about striking aces. At The Championships eight years ago, he struck a record 113 aces in a 70-68 fifth set victory over Nicolas Mahut in the first round.
On Thursday, in a match carried over from the previous night, the American fired 64 aces — the second-most of his career and the third-most in Wimbledon history — with two of those cannonballs saving two match points at 4-5, 15/40 in the deciding set en route to victory over qualifier Ruben Bemelmans of Belgium.
Isner completed a 6-1, 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-7(3), 7-5 second-round win in three hours and 46 minutes, having resumed the clash at 3-4 in the fifth set. Isner, who also saved one break point when serving for the match at 6-5, won 80 per cent of his first-service points for a place in the Wimbledon third round for the fourth time.
The 33-year-old, competing at the All England Club for the 10th time, now faces Radu Albot.
Elsewhere, third seed Marin Cilic, who finished runner-up to Roger Federer in last year’s final, is also locked in a fifth-set battle, carried over from Wednesday, against Guido Pella of Argentina.
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