Fighting Off Sets Points, Isner Wins 4th ATP Atlanta Title

It couldn’t be any closer as John Isner won a record fourth BB&T Atlanta Open title on Sunday, defeating fellow American Ryan Harrison 7-6(6), 7-6(7), his second straight title of the year after Newport.
ADHEREL
The 32-year-old has now reached the championship in seven of the event’s eight years. He improved to 12-12 in career finals, and 2-0 in 2017.

“This is always going to be my favorite time of year,” Isner said of the hardcourt season. “I couldn’t ask for a better start, obviously..I landed on Monday, had a practice on Monday night and things felt good right away. I was on a good roll.”

Isner had 23 aces to 10 for Harrison. Harrison broke early in the second set, the first time Isner’s serve was broken in 75 games and more than seven matches.

“The match I lost to Dudi Sela [at Wimbledon] was a blessing,” Isner said of his aggressiveness. “I had a sit-down with my staff and hashed things out. I was playing tentative and scared, not to win. I told myself that’s not the way to play.”

The 25-year-old Harrison, who won his first career title earlier in the year at Memphis, fell to 1-1 in career finals, continuing a breakout 2017 season. He had set points in both sets.

Bob and Mike Bryan won the doubles title 6-3, 6-4, beating Wesley Koolhof of The Netherlands and Artem Sitak of New Zealand.