Isner beats Aussie Ebden for ATP Newport title

WASHINGTON: US top seed John Isner blasted 17 aces Sunday in defeating Australian qualifier Matthew Ebden 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) to win the ATP Hall of Fame Open title.
The 32-year-old American won 37-of-41 first-serve points in the 74-minute triumph in capturing his 11th career ATP title and third on the grass at Newport, Rhode Island, after 2011 and 2012.
Isner did not face a break point in the week and the only set where he was pushed to a tiebreaker was the last when he took three of the final four points for the victory.
Ebden, the lowest-ranked ATP finalist of the year at 249th, was in his first ATP final. The 29-year-old South African-born former Commonwealth Games bronze medalist was only 3-3 in 2017 ATP main draw matches until this week when he won six matches in six days to reach the final.
It was the first title for Isner since Atlanta in 2015 and came in his first final since last November's Paris Masters, where he lost to Britain's top-ranked Andy Murray.
Isner ranked 21st, improved his career record at Newport to 19-5. He broke Ebden's first service game of the match for a 2-0 lead and held from there to claim the opening set.
Isner improved to 3-0 lifetime against Ebden without dropping a set, also winning in the fourth round at Indian Wells in 2012 and in the second round at Wimbledon in 2015. — AFP