INDIAN WELLS, California, USA (AP) - John Isner beat Diego Schwartzman on Tuesday 7-5, 6-3 to become one of four local tennis players who settled in the fourth round of the Indian Wells tournament.
The 2.10-meter American capitalized on his height advantage, with 13 aces and thwarted Argentina's Schwartzman (14th pre-qualified) with brilliant drop shots.
Isner didn't need any tiebreakers this time. Eighteen of their 30 sets this year ended up in tiebreakers.
Taylor Fritz beat 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (2) Spaniard Jaume Muner, who came from the qualifying round, in another match of the third round.
Fritz reached the semifinals last year at Indian Wells, his best result in an ATP Masters 1000. The son of WTA professional tennis player Kathy May, he has been on the rise ever since, reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open in January—his best result in a Grand Slam.
Three Americans, Tommy Paul, Steve Johnson and Frances Tiafoe, were eliminated.
Paul, lost 7-6 (2), 6-4 to the 29th pre-classified Alex de Minaur. Johnson succumbed to Hubert Hurkacz, 7-6 (7), 6-3.
Tiafoe fell to Andrey Rublev, 6-3, 6-4.
In actions in the fourth round of the women's tournament, Madison Keys beat Britain's Harriet Dart, who came from the qualifying round, 6-1, 6-4. Keys is the only American still in the tournament.
Iga Swiatek, third favorite, defeated Angelique Kerber, three-time winner of a major and once world number one, 4-6, 6-2 6-3.
“I felt like I wanted to use his experience to deceive me,” Swiatek acknowledged. “I like it, because it was a new experience for me. I'm proud of myself, that I was able to win against such a smart rival.”
Simona Halep, champion in 2015, beat Sorana Cirstea 6-1, 6-4. The Romanians met for the first time after 12 years and have divided honors in their four duels.
“I felt like I played a perfect first set,” Halep warned. “The second set was a little more complicated because I started to miss. He started playing better, but I think it was an outstanding win for me.”
Croatian Petra Martic beat 28th-ranked Liudmila Samsonova 7-6 (6), 6-4, while sixth-seeded Maria Sakkari advanced as Daria Saville, who was coming from the qualifying round, retired when she was down 4-1 due to a groin injury.