Mason, OH – American crowd favorite John Isner toppled world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in Friday's quarterfinal action at the $3 million Western & Southern Open, a hardcourt ATP Masters 1000 event.
The unseeded Isner knocked out the four-time Cincinnati runner-up Djokovic in three sets, 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 7-5, at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. The tight match was decided when the towering American broke the Serbian star in the final game of the bout.
Isner, who was a hardcourt runner-up in Washington, D.C., two weeks ago, is now 2-3 lifetime against Djokovic, with the other victory coming at a Masters event in Indian Wells, Calif., last year.
Djokovic lost to five-time Cincy champion Roger Federer in last year's marquee finale here.
This is the only Masters tournament that Djokovic has failed to win. He was the runner-up four of the last five years.
Seventh-seeded former U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro held off oft- injured Russian veteran Dmitry Tursunov, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1. Del Potro beat Isner in the recent D.C. finale and will face the 6-foot-9 American once again in Saturday's semifinals.
This is the last Masters tournament before the U.S. Open, which will commence August 26 in New York.
The 2013 Cincinnati champ will collect $583,800.
Fox News First
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.