Four Americans locked up places in the Citi Open quarterfinals by winning their third-round matches on Thursday, and two will face each other Friday. John Isner and Steve Johnson will be going head-to-head for a third consecutive summer in Washington, D.C. after dominating their respective contests against Marcos Baghdatis and Ryan Harrison.
Isner improved to 8-0 lifetime against Marcos Baghdatis with a 7-6(3), 6-2 win, while Johnson rolled over Harrison 6-4, 6-4.
With both men sporting plenty of facial hair right now, Isner and Johnson said they agreed to shave their beards and play a “Mustache Match” in the quarterfinals. The No. 1 seed and three-time Washington, D.C. runner-up, however, is waffling.
“I might be backing out on my commitment a la Ted Cruz,” Isner joked, referring to Cruz’s unwillingness to support Donald Trump while speaking at the Republican National Convention.
Whatever the case, an entertaining battle should be in store. The previous two D.C. showdowns between these two friends and former college standouts each needed third-set tiebreakers to be decided. Johnson prevailed 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-6(6) during second-round action in 2014 before Isner scored some 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(9) revenge in last summer’s semifinals.
Like those two victorious Americans, Gael Monfils had no trouble punching his ticket to the last eight. The second-seeded Frenchman disposed of Borna Coric 6-2, 6-3 in 54 minutes on Thursday evening.
Rounding out the quarterfinal lineup are Jack Sock, Sam Querrey, Alexander Zverev, Ivo Karlovic, and Benoit Paire, meaning exactly half of the remaining competitors are Americans. Querrey beat Alexandr Dolgopolov 7-6(5), 6-3, while Sock defeated Daniel Evans 6-1, 7-5.
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