Moving On
John Isner said earlier this week that he is ready to move on from his historic Wimbledon match with Nicolas Mahut.  In the Quarterfinals, he was able to shake off the rust evident in his second round match with a 6-1, 6-2 win over compatriot Michael Russell in 56 minutes.  Isner served four aces in a row at 3-1 in the second set, earning himself a big round of applause from the crowd.  Russell did not play well in only his second ATP World Tour Quarterfinal, but the quick match was almost merciful in the intense heat. Standing at 5 feet 8 inches tall, he struggled against Isner’s power and only won two points on the second seed’s serve in the second set. Isner was happy with how he played and said that he was moving much better than he had been on Wednesday.   

Just Like Old Times
Andy Roddick increased his head-to-head over Xavier Malisse to 9-0 after winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.  Roddick had trouble holding serve in the first set and was broken once in six break chances he gave Malisse. He committed 17 unforced errors, most coming from his backhand side.  Malisse was more aggressive and Roddick had trouble putting the Belgian’s serves in play.  In the last two sets Malisse served below 50 percent and Roddick was able to be more aggressive on his returns.  Roddick’s forehand started clicking while Malisse began to make more errors.  Roddick won the crucial break in the ninth game of the third set and then served out the match in the next game.
 

In 2001, Roddick beat Malisse in the final in Atlanta, to win his first career ATP title

Crowd Control
The crowd was enthusiastically cheering for Roddick in the middle of the second set and the chair umpire repeatedly asked for spectators to not call out during the players’ serves.  His announcements fell on deaf ears as the crowd continued to cheer. Malisse said to the chair umpire, which for this match was American Steve Ulrich, “Can they speak English?  It’s unbelievable.” Roddick was very appreciative of the crowd’s support later in his post-match interview. As Roddick left the stadium, he gave high fives to the spectators in the front row.

Roddick played an up and down match, but prevailed over the Belgian yet again

Demolition Night
There was no need to worry about Mardy Fish’s taped left ankle. His injury did not affect his game, as he played his best match of the week so far.  Fish steamrolled Taylor Dent 6-3, 6-0, and, if possible, it was even less close than the score shows.  Fish himself said, during his on-court interview, that he felt he played a perfect match.  Dent did not play well, but Fish did not let his opponent improve his level, as he hit winner after winner off both his forehand and backhand sides.  Dent cut down on the double faults from his last two matches, but Fish was attacking his serve very well.  Having taken the Newport title last week, Fish’s win streak is now up to eight.

Taylor Dent, too, was overwhelmed by Fish's stellar level of play

Looking to the Semifinals
When the University of Georgia beat University of Illinois to win the NCAA national title in 2007, Georgia Bulldog John Isner defeated Illini Kevin Anderson in the final day of competition.  In their professional career, Isner has a 2-1 record over Anderson, including a straight-set win in Indian Wells this year.  Going into the second semifinal, Roddick holds a 9-1 lead over good friend Fish, but they have not played each other in two years. Their head-to-head might not be much of a factor in their match, however, as Fish has dominated all of his opponents this week while Roddick has struggled.

More photos from Friday's matches, practices, and interviews at the Atlanta Tennis Championships

Photos: Christina Ward