ATP New York, USA

Opelka, Isner set ace record en route to Opelka's first ATP final

By Cody Fitzpatrick Feb 17, 2019
ATP New York, USA

Worthy Champion: Edmund eases past Seppi to triumph in New York

By Steve Flink Feb 17, 2020
ATP New York, USA

Edmund, Seppi to meet in final of New York Open

Feb 15, 2020
ATP New York, USA

First Anderson, now Opelka: Jason Jung topples both Long Island champs

Feb 15, 2020
ATP New York, USA

If You Can Make It Here: How the New York Open is doing in year three

By Steve Tignor Feb 14, 2020
ATP New York, USA

Thompson takes down Isner at New York Open; Opelka opens title defense

Feb 14, 2020
ATP New York, USA

Soonwoo Kwon, ATP No. 84, tops No. 2 seed Raonic at New York Open

Feb 13, 2020
ATP New York, USA

The best may be yet to come for Tennys Sandgren, tennis' "everyman"

By Steve Flink Feb 12, 2020
ATP New York, USA

Opelka to start title defense in New York with confidence

By Kamakshi Tandon Feb 12, 2020
ATP New York, USA

Steve Johnson edges Tennys Sandgren in New York Open first round

Feb 11, 2020
ATP New York, USA

Opelka, Isner set ace record en route to Opelka's first ATP final

The 6-foot-11 Opelka and 6-10 Isner combined for 81 aces and there were no breaks of serve.

ByCody Fitzpatrick

Published Feb 17, 2019

Advertising

UNIONDALE, N.Y.—When John Isner and Reilly Opelka played in the first round of the Australian Open last month, they set the record for the tallest match in Grand Slam history—Isner being 6'10" and Opelka being 6'11". Opelka won that match by taking three of the four sets, all in tiebreaks.

In the semifinals of the New York Open on Saturday, the pair set another record, this time for the most combined aces in a best-of-three-set match: 81—Isner with 38 and Opelka with 43. Opelka won the battle of tiebreaks in that match, too, 6-7 (8), 7-6 (14), 7-6 (4), to make his first career ATP final.

Crucially, in the second-set tiebreak, Opelka saved six match points, including one on Isner's first serve. The 33-year-old won 84 percent of his first-serve points, but in this instance, Opelka, in Isner's words, "guessed right" before landing a clutch backhand down the line.

On four of the five subsequent match points, Opelka relied on his first serve, the shot he credits with taking his game to the next level over the past year.

Advertising

"My serve has improved a ton," he said, citing how his percentage of first-serve points won was gone up from 75 and 85 since 2017. "That's what allowed me to play in those breakers. That's what allowed me to save six match points."

On Saturday in particular, Opelka landed 75 percent of his first serves in, winning a ridiculous 91 percent of his first-serve points. The 21-year-old's 43 aces nearly broke the best-of-three record for the most by a single player—Ivo Karlovic had 45 in Halle in 2015.

The combined-ace record that the Americans surpassed was actually set only recently, by Nick Kyrgios and Ryan Harrison, in Brisbane this New Year's Day. The ATP started counting aces in 1991.

In the third-set tiebreak, Opelka took advantage of an opportunity stemming from Isner's second serve, coming to the net and forcing him to miss a forehand pass attempt. And with the way Opelka was serving, the one mini break was all he needed to win the tiebreak, 7-4, and reach his maiden final.

He'll face another first-timer on Sunday, in 23-year-old Brayden Schnur, who came through qualifying and then recorded his first three ATP wins, over Steve Johnson, Paolo Lorenzi and Sam Querrey.