Andy Roddick Defeats John Isner In A Thriller, Reaches Legg Mason Tennis Classic Final in Washington

WASHINGTON--After the match between the #1 and #2 South Americans in men's tennis proved to be a dud, the stage was set for the #1 and #7 Americans to do battle in the second semifinal of the 2009 Legg Mason Tennis Classic, an ATP 500 tournament in Washington, DC.  The two delivered, with top-seed Andy Roddick outlasting John Isner 6-7(3), 6-2, 7-5.

Isner hung with Roddick until the very end, failing to secure the very last hold he needed that would have gotten him to a third set tiebreak, the decider he is 7-0 in lifetime in Washington.  Roddick had chance after chance after chance on Isner's serve in the third set, and on his fifth break point he finally broke through.  It was an incredible match by both, and the kind of match you hate to see either lose.  Follow the roller coaster for yourself by looking through the running match comments thread we had here for this match.  We'll do another open comments thread  for tomorrow's final, so be sure to stop by at 3 pm EST for that.

There's not anything more I can say about this match, really, so I'll let the players do the rest of the talking. Well, I asked the questions, but they're the ones with the insights from here on...

Andy Roddick:

TDF: This seemed to me like the best match you've played so far this week.  Do you agree?

Andy Roddick: Um, I played well.  I didn't serve well against Querrey, but I think I hit the ball really well against Querrey.  I think John made me play my best tennis tonight, made me play well. Anything less than that wasn't going to get it done.

TDF: You've hit an uncharacteristically--not by normal standards, but for you--an uncharacteristically low number of aces this week.  Are you at all worried that your serve isn't doing enough for you?

Andy Roddick: Nope! (laughs)

TDF: You played del Potro last year in the finals of Los Angeles, and he beat you pretty soundly. 

Andy Roddick: Yup.

TDF: What do you have to do, and how do you like your chances against him tomorrow?

Andy Roddick: He was just playing a lot better than me last year at this time, there's no way around it.  I was struggling to find form, and I was coming off injuries.  And he was on a four-tournament win streak.  So I certainly didn't go into that match thinking I was favored by any means.  And he showed me why I thought that.

It'll be tough tomorrow.  You know what you're going to get from him.  He plays a high level every day--that's why he's up at #6 in the world, and that's why he's been in the top five for the majority of the past year.  He hits the ball well through the court.  I'm gonna have to hit the ball pretty well from the baseline and make the adjustment from night tennis to day tennis--it always reacts a little bit differently. 

I'll have to get a grip on that in warm-ups.

John Isner:

TDF: How would you compare your play against him today to your play against him in the 2007 final here?

John Isner: I feel like I'm a better player now.  I was just kind of riding a wave of momentum in '07, and now I feel like I truly belong at this level.

In 2007 I really didn't think I could win that match.  But I thought all along I was going to win today.  But, it didn't happen.

TDF: Speaking of "belonging at this level," by reaching the semifinal here you earned a "special exempt" to Montreal, which is your first time playing a Masters/1000 event outside the US.  Is that a big milestone for you?

John Isner: Yeah, I guess.  I didn't even know I could do that, I just found out this morning that I was in the draw.  My plan was to go down to Florida after this.

And my coach, who didn't bring his passport, he has to fly to Florida and then fly to Montreal.  Luckily for me, I always just keep my passport in my bookbag.

TDF: You beat two top twenty players this week, in Berdych and Tsonga.  Do you think this is the best tournament you've ever played?

John Isner: Yeah, I think you can say that.  I beat two quality players.

I've played now twelve matches in the last three tournaments, so I have a lot of matches under my belt.  I came into here--I wasn't that fresh, but once I got through my first match I felt pretty good out there.

And I just enjoy playing here as well.