ATP: Matchballs fended off: Gojowczyk wins tie-break thriller against Isner

His opponent’s 30 aces and three match balls kept Peter Gojowczyk on track: The Davis Cup player has reached a quarter-finals on the ATP Tour for the third time this year in a tie-break thriller.

The world rankings 64. from Munich defeated John Isner (USA), a 2.08-metre serve giant from Delray Beach in sixth position, after 2:31 hours 7:6 (7:3), 6:7 (4:7), 7:6 (7:5). In the third set Gojowczyk had fought off three match points at the score of 5:6. Isner beat 30 aces – and didn’t have to give up his service or “Gojo” once.

In the round of the top eight at the $622,675 tournament in the US sunshine state of Florida, the 28-year-old faces either top seeded Jack Sock (USA) or his fellow countryman Reilly Opelka. Gojowczyk had already reached the quarter-finals at his first two tournaments of the season in Doha/Katar and Auckland/New Zealand, but had failed to make it into the semi-finals. Last week, the German number five gave up in the last sixteen at the indoor tournament in New York.