Isner, Hewitt to battle in Newport semis
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Two-time reigning champion John Isner and last year's runner-up Lleyton Hewitt will meet in a rematch of last year's final in Saturday's semifinals at the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships.
Friday's tallest-ever tennis match saw the 6-foot-9 Isner hold off 6-foot-10 Croat Ivo Karlovic in a pair of tiebreaks, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-3), in 1 hour, 37 minutes on the grass courts at the International Tennis Hall of Fame. The massive-serving encounter featured 37 aces, including 23 from the American winner, and there were no breaks points to be had between the two sluggers.
The second-seeded Isner is now 2-2 lifetime against his fellow giant Karlovic.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Isner captured his second straight Newport title last year by besting the former Wimbledon champion Hewitt in the marquee finale.
Meanwhile, the fourth-seeded Hewitt set up the rematch with Isner by overcoming Czech qualifier Jan Hernych 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 6-2 in exactly two hours in the last quarterfinal affair.
Hewitt will meet Isner for a fifth time, with the Aussie leading their lifetime series, 3-1. Hewitt upset Isner at the Indian Wells Masters event earlier this season.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Saturday's other semi will pit 35-year-old American Michael Russell against 2007 Newport runner-up Nicolas Mahut of France.
Russell will attempt to reach his first-ever ATP final.
"I feel like I'm saving the best part of my tennis for the last couple of years, sort of the twilight," said Russell.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Mahut is best known for losing to Isner in the longest-ever tennis match, an 11-hour, 5-minute affair that was played out over three days in the opening round at Wimbledon three years ago.
The winner of this $520,000 event will claim $78,000.