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By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, August 2, 2015

 
John Isner

John Isner permitted just three points on serve overpowering a hobbled Marcos Baghdatis, 6-3, 6-3, to claim his third straight Atlanta title.

Photo credit: BB&T Atlanta Open

Lunging in vain as the yellow ball blurred by him, Marcos Baghdatis heard the heavy thud of John Isner's serve bruising the blue back wall.

On this day the only thing more dangerous than the sound of Isner's serve was the sight of Baghdatis actually making contact.

Serving for the opening set, Isner unleashed a blast down the middle with such force it knocked the racquet right out of Baghdatis' hand leaving the bearded Cypriot chuckling at the absurdity of his challenge.

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Untouchable on serve, Isner never let his hobbled opponent get a grip on his game.

The top seed pounded 13 aces and permitted just three points on serve blasting Baghdatis, 6-3, 6-3, to claim his third straight Atlanta title.

"[The serve] is obviously my best weapon, but it's something I never neglect on the practice court," Isner told ESPN's Patrick McEnroe afterward. "I work on my ball toss quite a bit. When I'm missing serves it's generally because my ball toss is not in the right spot... I feel like I can hit it anywhere. I'm using the body serve more. That's a serve that can be very, very devastating especially if opponents are standing up in the court—Itry to knock one right at them. When I get confidence on the court, especially when I'm up a break, I tend to serve my best."

A four-time all-American for the University of Georgia Bulldogs, Isner has played with pit bull's bite in Atlanta raising his record at the tournament to 20-3 in collecting his 10th career title. Eight of those 10 titles have come on home soil.

It was the fifth final of the season between two men 30 or older. These two have a history and it's been a story of misery for Baghdatis, who took the court winless in five prior encounters with the towering American.

Past futility combined with a physically punishing 6-7 (4), 6-3, 7-6 (4) semifinal victory over Gilles Muller that left him with an apparent hip strain may explain why Baghdatis came out playing serve-and-volley in his opening service game. His movement clearly compromised, Baghdatis did well just to complete the match.

"My body couldn't handle it today," Baghdatis told an appreciative Atlanta crowd afterward. "I'm really sorry I couldn't compete 100 percent, but I tried my best that's for sure."

Isner blocked a high forehand volley for double break point. Baghdatis scattered a double fault gifting the break and a 3-1 lead to the big man that effectively decided the first set. Isner banged two aces and ladled a fine forehand drop volley winner backing up the break at love.

Isner said he felt from the first point Baghdatis was not right.

"He's not a serve-and-volleyer; that's just not his game," Isner said of Baghdatis. "He's a serve and dictate from the top of the baseline guy. On the opening point, he serve-and-volleyed. I missed one, then I made one. It was a little weird. When you're playing someone that's hobbled it's really not that easy because you're always toeing that fine line whether to be ultra aggressive or go back and be passive and wait for your opponent, who's not feeling so well, to miss. I feel like I did a pretty good job out there today though."

Successive aces past the lunging Cypriot capped another love hold as Isner extended his lead to 5-2.

Isner issued his third straight love hold breezing through the opening set in 25 minutes, winning 20 of 21 points played on his serve and slashing seven aces in the process.

The 47th-ranked Baghdatis left the court for apparent treament of his hip, returning to hold serve with a drop-shot lob combination.

The 30-year-old Cypriot lacked the explosive first step and Isner made him pay. Curling a forehand crosscourt to create open space, Isner slid a forehand winner down the line. A deep return backed up Baghdatis, drawing the error as Isner broke for 3-2 after 51 minutes of play. Isner threw down another love hold consolidating for 4-2.

Baghdatis knocked a running forehand into net, ending a one-sided final in one hour. Credit Baghdatis for completing the final, but without his legs he was largely helpless against the Isner serve.

Isner joined Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, David Ferrer, Lleyton Hewitt, Milos Raonic and Kei Nishikori as the eighth active player to three-peat on the ATP Tour.

He's such a devoted fan of Georgia football, during the fall Asian swing Isner said he rises in the middle of the night to to watch the Dawgs play. The three-time champion played with the free-swinging aggression of a man thoroughly enjoying his homecoming this week.

"It's my favorite surface, hard court like this. A pretty fast hard court, one that bounces high and hot conditions, which helps my serve so much," Isner told Patrick McEnroe. "Up until this point, I played better this year in Europe than I have my whole career. I feel I'm playing with a bit of house money now. I banked a lot of good results in Europe on the clay. I'm back on my favorite surface. I'm back in the United States. I'm back in my favorite place in the world, Georgia."
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