ATP Tour

Isner charges into Memphis decider

ESPN staff

February 20, 2010 « Soccernet Podcast: Can Barcelona get past Mourinho's bus? | ESPN FA Cup Promo »

John Isner has been in the form of his life this year © Getty Images

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In-form American John Isner dropped his first service games of the tournament but still had enough in the tank to beat Philipp Petzschner 7-5 4-6 6-3 and set up a final with his Davis Cup team-mate Sam Querrey in the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships in Memphis on Saturday.

Isner won his first career title in Auckland in January, then put in a career-best round of 16 appearance at the Australian Open to take his 2010 win-loss record to 8-1 going into this tournament.

It's still shaping up to be a big year for the big-serving American now he has made his second final, after serving 13 aces and giving up just seven break points for the match. Petzschner took two of those opportunities in a tight second set but 25-year-old, 25-ranked Isner stepped up his all-round game to compensate for a slightly misfiring serve to take the third.

"It was extremely difficult," said Isner. "I had some chances early in the second to pull away a little bit, didn't do it… It went to a third set and I told myself not to get rattled, which I didn't. I knew that I still had my serve in my pocket - I'm going to hold serve, take my chances on the return game, and I like my chances in the third set no matter who I'm playing. I usually play pretty well in the third.

"It's huge. It'll be my second final already this year in my third tournament…Hopefully I can come out tomorrow and get it done no matter who I'm playing. Either way, I know I've done really well but I'm not satisfied, that's for sure."

Sam Querrey made it an all-American final in Tennessee by beating Latvia's Ernests Gulbis in straight sets, although the 6-3 6-4 scoreline didn't tell the full story of an extremely tight tussle.

This match featured 152 points in total compared to 185 for Isner's three-setter, with both players fighting to hold serve throughout. Querrey showed composure to save all nine break points Gulbis created.

Querrey took some form of revenge here after Gulbis eliminated him early in the French Open last year in the pair's only previous meeting. Querrey, like Isner, is looking like making 2010 a big year as the 22-year-old approaches the top 20 for the first time.

Meanwhile in Buenos Aires, David Ferrer and Juan Carlos Ferrero make up an all-Spanish final of the Copa Telmex after winning their semi-finals on Saturday.

It was a busy day for Ferrer as he finished a rain-delayed quarter-final against Igor Andreev in the morning, before taking out Alberto Montanes 6-1 6-1 later in the day. Montanes dished up eight double faults to make top-seed Ferrer's job a lot easier.

Ferrero had a tougher time in his 6-2 7-6 triumph over Juan Monaco. The Argentine had a chance to serve for the second set at 5-3, but Ferrero broke back to ensure a third set would be required after clinching the tie-break.