The warmup events for Juan Martin Del Potro and John Isner heading into the Australian Open are still alive and well. Del Potro advances to the Sydney semifinals by holding off Radek Stepanek on Thursday while Isner beats Philipp Kohlschreiber in Auckland.
Apia International: (1) Juan Martin Del Potro d. Radek Stepanek 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
Del Potro won his second three-setter in as many Sydney matches when he ousted Stepanek in two hours and eight minutes during quarterfinal action on Thursday afternoon. The Argentine had lost his opener against Nicolas Mahut 6-1 on Wednesday and he endured another terrible set against Stepanek, this time in the second when he was broken three times. Nonetheless, Del Potro recovered to break the 35-year-old Czech twice in the third to wrap things up in style.
“I was positive for every moment of the match,” Del Potro explained. “Even when [Stepanek] improved his game during the second set, I was positive and waited for my chances.”
Next up for the top seed is Dmitry Tursunov, who defeated Denis Istomin 7-6(5), 6-2.
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Heineken Open: (3) John Isner d. (5) Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-7(4), 7-6(4), 7-6(5
Isner and Kohlschreiber faced each other for the sixth time in their careers on Thursday in Auckland and still none of their encounters has ended in straight sets. The 6’10” American, who led the head-to-head series 3-2 but had lost two in a row to Kohlschreiber at the U.S. Open, exacted some revenge this time around. In a match that featured zero breaks of serve, Isner served at a ridiculous 83 percent and fired 18 aces to prevail in two hours and 24 minutes.
Kohlschreiber saved two break points in the first set, four in the second, and one in the third. Isner fought off one in the opener, none in the middle frame of play, and two in the decider. This week’s No. 3 seed could not deliver the goods in the first of three tiebreakers, but he needed only one mini-break in each of the next two to survive. Isner, the 2010 champion of this event, will go up against Roberto Bautista Agut for a place in the title match.
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