Isner tops Roddick in 2 sets at Winston-Salem Open

In the all American semifinal of the Winston-Salem Open, fourth-seeded John Isner upset top-seeded Andy Roddick 7-6 (7), 6-4 Friday in the Winston-Salem Open, a final tuneup before the US Open.Isner won the first set in a tiebreaker by breaking Roddicks serve to go up 8-7. He ended the set with a 107-mph serve.I was flat out just luckier than he was in the first set, Isner said about advancing to his third finial of the season.Both players held serve in the first set and it came down to Isner breaking Roddicks serve to go up 8-7. Isner, who has what many consider one of the best serves in the game, then ended the set with an ace.The 28th-ranked Isner will play the winner of the match between Robin Haase and qualifier Julien Benneteau in Saturdays final.The 21st-ranked Roddick, who had been 8-0 in his career in Winston-Salem, broke Isner in the second set to go up 3-1. But Isner came right back to break Roddick in the next game.He played a pretty good game down 3-1 and he was a little tired but slapped a couple of balls in and all of sudden Im in hole down love-30, said Roddick, who is ranked 21st in the ATP.Tied at 4-4, Isner got another break to go up 5-4 and had three aces to end the match.Isners ability to return Roddicks second serves was crucial. For the match Isner returned 70 percent of those second serves.I was just thinking in a match like that its important to get up in the return game, Isner said.Roddick, who has been mostly idle this summer because of an adnominal strain, was glad to get in four matches in preparation for next week.