John Isner is back in action after Wednesday's heroics at the Atlanta Tennis Championships.
Isner and James Blake served up a classic for spectators on Wednesday as they were treated to a late-night epic which Isner eventually took 7-6, 6-7, 7-5 after nearly three hours, smashing down 32 aces in the process, more than many players hit in an entire tournament.
Both men possess bullet like serves and it was always going to take a while to break the deadlock. A third successive tiebreak seemed inevitable until Blake crucially lost his concentration in the penultimate game to let Isner in.
The third seed is a big fan favourite at this event after his exploits as a student on the collegiate circuit for the nearby University of Georgia. Isner was consistently among the best college players in the country for three years and as a result returning to Atlanta is like playing a home-town event for him.
He should have an easier task tonight against Lu. Chinese Taipei's top player, he's not to be underestimated on grass, reaching the Wimbledon quarters in 2010 and beating Viktor Troicki on the way to the third round this year. However he's not had anything like the same success on hard courts and he's been quite fortunate with the draw this week, beating two qualifiers to make the last eight.
Prediction: Isner in two.
