DALLAS (AP) — John Isner has already been part of the two longest matches in Wimbledon history. Might as well add the longest tiebreaker on the ATP Tour, at his hometown event no less.
Reilly Opelka beat Isner 24-22 in a second-set tiebreaker Saturday to finish a victory that put him in the final of the inaugural Dallas Open.
The second-seeded Opelka sent a winner down the line to secure the 7-6 (7), 7-6 (22) win over Isner, the No. 3 seed who lives about a mile from the SMU tennis facility hosting the event.
Opelka will face No. 4 seed Jenson Brooksby, who saved four match points in a 6-4, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5) victory over seventh-seeded Marcos Giron. It was the first time since 2004 that all four semifinalists have been Americans.
At Wimbledon 12 years ago, Isner played an 11-hour, 5-minute match that covered three days, beating Nicolas Mahut 70-68 in a remarkable fifth set.