BB&T Atlanta Open 2015: Saturday Tennis Scores, Results and Finals Schedule
Despite being the top seed, John Isner didn't exactly have an easy ride in his first two matches of the 2015 BB&T Atlanta Open. Isner won in straight sets on each occasion, but three of his four set victories came in a tiebreaker.
Would his luck run out in the semifinals against Denis Kudla?
In Saturday's other semifinal, Marcos Baghdatis faced off with Gilles Muller. Baghdatis has never recaptured his magic of 2006 and 2007, but winning in Atlanta would provide some nice momentum with the 2015 U.S. Open less than a month away.
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Saturday Results
| Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan (1) | Christopher Eubanks & Donald Young | 6-2, 6-4 |
| John Isner (1) | Denis Kudla (Q) | 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 |
| Marcos Baghdatis (5) | Gilles Muller (7) | 6-7(4), 6-3, 7-6(4) |
| Colin Fleming & Gilles Muller | Eric Butorac & Artem Sitak (3) | 6-3, 5-7, 10-3 |
Sunday Schedule
| Men's Doubles | Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan (1) vs. Colin Fleming & Gilles Muller | 12:30 p.m. ET |
| Men's Singles | John Isner (1) vs. Marcos Baghdatis (5) | Not Before 3 p.m. ET |
Saturday Recap
Kudla has been one of the stories of the tournament. The 22-year-old qualifier blazed a trail to the semifinals, leaving a defeated Ryan Harrison, Jack Sock and Dudi Sela in his wake.
Kudla's reward for his deep run was a date with Isner in the semifinals—the same Isner who was 13-1 in Atlanta since 2012 entering Saturday.
Although he was the heavy favorite, Isner knew he couldn't take his opponent lightly in the semifinals, per ATPWorldTour.com:
"He's very solid. He returns really well. He's quick. The best part of his game is that he stays very composed out there and doesn't let things rattle him too much. It's paying dividends. He's working really hard and he's very young too, so he's got a great future ahead of him. Me being the elder statesman tomorrow, I need to show him no mercy.
"
Isner received everything he could handle from Kudla, dropping the first set and needing seven games to put him away in the third and final set.
Kudla simply couldn't consistently find a way around Isner's serve. He had just three break-point opportunities over the entire match, converting just one of the three.
Meanwhile, Isner picked up 25 aces to two double-faults. He won an impressive 78 percent of his service points. When the 30-year-old is serving this well, he's incredibly hard to beat.
Baghdatis knows exactly how difficult Isner is to play. In the previous five head-to-head meetings between the two, Isner is a perfect 5-0.
Muller did everything he could to make sure that sixth meeting didn't happen, winning the first set in a tiebreaker and pushing the third to a tiebreak as well. The 32-year-old was his own worst enemy, however, double-faulting on eight occasions.
In such a close match, allowing your opponent to take eight free points can mean the difference between winning and losing.
Of course, give Baghdatis plenty of credit. His first serve was a bit spotty throughout—a 54 percent completion percentage—but he did just enough to keep Muller at bay with his second serve. Thirty-one of the 72 points Baghdatis won came on his second serve.
Now, the 30-year-old Cypriot is in somewhat unfamiliar territory. ATPWorldTour.com's Greg Sharko noted how long it has been since Baghdatis played in a tournament final:
He certainly looked pleased to end his finals drought, per The Grandstand:
Baghdatis and Isner will play for the title Sunday following the doubles final. According to the ATP, the match won't begin before 3 p.m. ET.
Between Baghdatis' futility against Isner and Isner's record on hard court, Baghdatis will be a big underdog in the final.
If Isner isn't serving well, though, Baghdatis could have the opportunity he needs to pull off the upset.
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