Karlovic, who won his seventh career ATP title last week on Newport grass to become the oldest tour singles champion since 1979, will play Sunday’s final against the victor of a later match between 19-year-old German seventh seed Alexander Zverev and French second seed Gael Monfils.
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Steve Johnson held on to defeat Greensboro native John Isner 7-6 (7), 7-6 (15) in the quarterfinals Friday in the Citi Open. The Croat saved all three, but Monfils kept the pressure coming with a backhand passing shot victor down the line to get it back to deuce on the first set point for the 37-year-old.
But Monfils kept his nerve to secure the sixth ATP Tour title of his career, and first since winning on home soil in Montpellier in February 2014. In the next 9 games, both players settled into the nice rhythm on serve, reaching 5-5 without additional break chances, and Ivo was particularly good, starting the match with 8 unreturnable serves and continuing in the same rhythm ever since.
In Johnson’s second service game, less than 15 minutes into the match, he missed a shot at deuce to hand over a break point and angrily smacked a ball into the stands.
He was also opportunistic on returns, converting one of two break points on the Tomic serve to level the pair’s FedEx ATP Head2Head at 2-2.
Last week, at the grass-court tournament in Newport, Rhode Island, Karlovic became the oldest man since 1979 to win an ATP singles title.
“I was lucky enough to be on the schedule first today”.
“I love Stevie to death”, he said, “but I don’t think that backhand lob he it I don’t think he could do that all the time”.
Karlovic will face No. 2-seeded Gael Monfils on Sunday.
Monfils broke for a 2-1 lead in the deciding set when Karlovic flicked a backhand long.
“In the crucial moments I was able to come up with my best shots”, Karlovic said. But it happens. I was going to win, and then I lost my serve.
“I was going to win, and then I lost my serve”. Monfils, however, broke right back in the following game in which Karlovic made two volley errors to start the game.
Asked what it’s like to enter events where he could potentially face a teenager Zverev, for example, is 19 Karlovic replied: “Yeah, I mean, I could be their daddy”. Since losing his first six matches of 2016, Karlovic has gone 16-7.
“You know when you have a title, definitely you want to defend it”, he said, “but I always say, I don’t know the schedule of next year”. Karlovic was looking for his second title in as many weeks while Monfils was looking for his first title in two years. A 133 miles per hour ace, then delivered a 130 miles per hour service victor to get to match point.
Zverev, ranked a career-best 27th but sick with food poisoning, warned Monfils could test Karlovic with quick returns.
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Here’s how Isner explained it: “I pulled up and got tentative”. He earned a championship point with a backhand passing shot down the line, his seventh backhand victor of the match that elicited some of the loudest cheers of the day.
