Delray Beach, FL (Sports Network) - World No. 15 John Isner and former
champion Tommy Haas, the tournament's top two seeded players, were each ousted
in hard-fought semifinal matches Saturday at the Delray Beach International
Tennis Championships.
Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin bested the top-seeded Isner by a 6-4, 4-6,
6-4 score in the nightcap on the hardcourts at Delray Beach Tennis Center,
while talented Latvian Ernests Gulbis prevailed in a final-set tiebreaker to
edge No. 2 seed Haas 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7-2) and advance to Sunday's final.
Roger-Vasselin earned a key break of Isner in the pivotal third set before
holding serve the rest of the way to outlast the American in two hours and
nine minutes.
The 29-year-old, currently ranked 105th in the world, will be seeking his
first career ATP title when he takes the court Sunday against Gulbis, the 2010
Delray Beach champ.
Gulbis saved five break points in the final set of his bout with Haas -- who
captured this event in 2006 -- including one with the match tied at 5-5. The
24-year-old then dominated the tiebreaker segment to come out on top in a two-
hour, 14-minute marathon.
This will be the third career ATP final for Gulbis, who topped Mardy Fish to
win in Los Angeles in 2011 in addition to his Delray Beach victory the
previous year.
The Sports Network