Isner Edges Past Evans; Awaits Tsitsipas Or Basilashvili In Beijing

John Isner hit 21 aces to advance to the China Open quarter-finals on Thursday with a 7-6(3), 7-5 win over Briton Daniel Evans in one hour and 51 minutes.

With his 28th match win of the year, Isner added 45 points to join 15th-placed Swiss Stan Wawrinka on 1,670 points in the 2019 ATP Race To London. Four of the eight singles berths remains up for grabs at the Nitto ATP Finals.

The 34-year-old American will next challenge third-seeded Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, who is also vying to compete at The O2 in London from 10-17 November, or defending champion Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia.

Isner, a 2010 semi-finalist in Beijing, recovered from 15/40 at 4-4 in the first set. He broke clear of Evans at 3/3 in the tie-break by winning four straight points. As pressure mounted on Evans’ serve in the second set, the World No. 48 was broken in the 11th game.

Evans had beaten the American en route to his first ATP Tour final at the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com (l. to Albot) in February.