DELRAY BEACH: US second seed John Isner rallied on Friday to reach the ATP Delray Beach Open semi-finals, where he will try to deny Marin Cilic his third final in as many weeks.
Big-serving Isner fired 18 aces in outlasting US qualifier Rhyne Williams 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 while Cilic, a seventh seed from Croatia, dispatched Russia’s Teymuraz Gabashvili 6-2, 6-3.
‘’Trust me, I’d like to win it in two sets,’’ said Isner.
Cilic won his fourth career ATP crown on home soil at Zagreb two weeks ago and last week reached the Rotterdam final, losing to Czech Tomas Berdych.
Hitting 12 aces and converting five of six break points, Cilic advanced in 79 minutes and took the 2014 lead in match wins
with 16.
“Good times are rolling. It’s pretty good,” Cilic said. “This is my first time ever (reaching) two finals in a row, and a semi-final, so that’s huge for me. It’s very positive.”
The other semi-final will send South African fourth seed Kevin Anderson — who eliminated Australian Marinko Matosevic 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 6-3 — against 142nd-ranked US qualifier Steve Johnson, who eliminated Spanish sixth seed Feliciano Lopez
6-3, 6-2.
Anderson fired 10 aces and connected on 61 percent of his first serves in a 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 6-3 victory over his 55th-ranked rival, who had nine aces but also six double-faults and only a 49 percent first-serve success
rate.
Seeking his second Delray Beach title in three years and third ATP career crown, Anderson advanced to a matchup with US qualifier Steve Johnson, who eliminated Spanish sixth seed Feliciano Lopez 6-3, 6-2 in 73 minutes.
Anderson, who lives nearby, surrendered only one break over two hours and 23 minutes in improving to 12-3 all time at Delray Beach and 3-0 against Matosevic.
“I’ve played him a couple times before and it’s a battle each time,” Anderson said. “I just hung in there and finally got that breakthrough in the second set. It was gusty and it was tough to get a rhythm.
“I’m in the semis and that’s a great feeling.”
Anderson’s only other title came in 2011 on home soil in Johannesburg.
Johnson, who upset top seed Tommy Haas in the second round, has reached his first ATP semi-final. He has already beaten Anderson this year, ousting him at Auckland last month.
‘’I’m playing composed tennis and staying within myself,’’ said Johnson, who helped USC to four NCAA titles.
Johnson had to win two qualifying matches to earn a spot in the 32-player main draw.
“He’s going to have the experience out there, but I played him tough earlier this year,” Johnson said.
“It’s going to be a comfortable match for me because I’ve practiced with Kevin. I’m hoping to go out there and just be confident and ready to go.”
Johnson did not drop serve and broke Lopez three times.
“I stuck to the game plan and executed really well and in the end I was able to hold my nerves,” he told reporters.
Johnson, ranked 142nd in the world, will meet 2012 champion Kevin Anderson in the semi-finals on Saturday.
Johnson might be the underdog against fourth seed Anderson, but will take confidence in the knowledge he beat the South African in Auckland in January.
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