Yibing Wu and John Isner have had enough tennis in Dallas, and no one can blame them! Two rivals withdrew from this week’s Delray Beach Open in Florida, unable to compete in another event after Sunday’s epic final.
The 23-year-old Chinese fended off four match points in a thrilling 6-7, 7-6, 7-6 triumph in two hours and 58 minutes.
. Thus, Wu became China’s first ATP champion, breaking the top 50 on Monday and expecting more in the rest of the season.
Yibing missed nearly three years between 2019 and 2022, battling injuries and making an impressive comeback a year ago. After a pair of Challenger titles, Wu went further in Dallas and achieved some notable milestones for himself and his country.
The veteran Isner, 37, missed a great opportunity to lift a trophy in front of the home fans. He wasted a match point on the return in the 12th game of the second set and three more in the deciding tiebreaker for a heartbreaking loss.
John withdrew from Delray Beach due to knee problems, risking nothing before Indian Wells and Miami. Isner won two more points than Wu, but not the decisive ones. The American fired 44 aces and needed just one to equal Ivo Karlovic’s best-of-three record from Halle 2015.
Yibing Wu and John Isner withdrew from the Delray Beach Open.
Wu saved all three break points, including match point, and squandered two break chances as they stayed neck-and-neck from start to finish. The Chinese created a break point already in the second game of the match, and the American erased it with an ace.
Wu produced six comfortable holds and earned set point on the return at 6-5 with a backhand cross winner. John saved it with a booming serve and took two mini-breaks in the tiebreaker to clinch it 7-4 with his 17th ace!
Returners barely earned a point in the first nine games of the second set, and Wu held after two deuces in the tenth game at 5-5 and more drama. Isner found a rhythm on the return in game 12 and earned a match point when his opponent made a backhand error.
Yibing saved it after a rally from the baseline and brought in the second tiebreaker, a must-win one for him. The Chinese took an early mini-break and added another to clinch the 7-3 break and force a decider after one hour and 43 minutes.
The rivals remained focused in the third set and delivered 11 easy holds. Yibing faced trouble in game nine after playing against two break points. He denied both and brought the game home for more excitement. The deciding tiebreaker saw a more incredible serve, with no mini-breaks in the first 22 points!
Isner wasted match points at 6-5, 8-7 and 10-9, all on returns, and saved two on serve at 6-7, 8-9. Yibing wasted more chances at 11-10 and 12-11, the last being on her serve. However, the Chinese won his fourth match point at 12-12 and parlayed it after the American’s loose forehand for his first of many ATP titles..
