Karlovic, Isner Pad Ace Tallies In Vienna

The top ace leaders in this year’s Infosys ATP Scores & Stats served their way into the second round of the Erste Bank Open 500 on Monday in Vienna.

Eighth seed Ivo Karlovic, the top ace hitter before Monday with 1,003, blasted 16 more while beating Steve Johnson 7-6(5), 6-3. Karlovic, who also swept Johnson in Washington, saved all six break points against the American, who reached his first ATP World Tour final in Vienna last season (l. to Ferrer).

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The 37-year-old Croatian will meet Bosnian qualifier Damir Dzumhur, who outlasted Spaniard Nicolas Almagro 6-3, 5-7, 6-0 in one hour and 40 minutes.

John Isner, who entered Monday second in aces with 997, struck 18 aces and saved all seven break points in his comeback win against German Jan-Lennard Struff 6-7(1), 6-3, 6-4. The American, who now has 1,015 aces, surpassed the 1,000 mark for the fourth time in his career. He also did in 2010, 2012 and 2015.

Karlovic has led the ATP World Tour in aces five times: 2007-09, ’14-15; Isner, three times: 2010, ’12-13. Isner will look to pad his total against seventh seed Lucas Pouille or Spaniard Feliciano Lopez in the second round.

The youngest player in the Vienna draw also used some efficient serving to advance. Russian wild card Karen Khachanov won 82 per cent of his first-serve points to dismiss Italian Andreas Seppi 6-4, 6-4 in 69 minutes. The 20 year old, a member of the ATP Next Generation, captured his maiden title earlier this month at the Chengdu Open (d. Ramos-Vinolas). Khachanov will next face second seed Tomas Berdych or Georgian qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili.

Berdych is trying to make a final push to the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. The Czech is currently in ninth place in the Emirates ATP Race To London, 325 points behind eighth-placed Dominic Thiem, who’s the third seed in Vienna, his home tournament.

View the Emirates ATP Race To London standings