By Chris Oddo | Wednesday August 3, 2016
18-year-old Riley Opelka notched the biggest win of his career on Wednesday in Atlanta.
Photo Source: Grant Halverson/Getty
It was a big day for the big boys on the hard courts of the BB&T Atlanta Open. 6’10” John Isner and 6’11” Riley Opelka each reached the quarterfinals, with three-time defending champion Isner winning his 13th straight at the event, while Opelka, last year’s Boys’ Singles champion at Wimbledon, notched his second tour-level victory.
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Opelka, who had never won a tour-level match before coming to Atlanta this year, became the fourth 18-year-old to reach an ATP quarterfinal this season with a 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-5 victory over world No.28 Kevin Anderson.
Opelka served 20 aces on the afternoon and saved seven of nine break points.
The Michigan native also saved two match points with Anderson serving at 5-4 in the decider.
Isner, bidding for his fourth straight title in Atlanta, served 16 aces and saved four of five break points in a 6-4, 6-0 victory over Adrian Mannarino of France.
American and Atlanta resident Donald Young was also a winner on Wednesday. The 27-year-old battled back to take down Tim Smyczek, 4-6, 7-6(1), 6-3.
Young will face Opelka in Friday’s quarterfinals, while Isner will face either Taylor Fritz or Bjorn Fratangelo.
For the seventh consecutive year the tournament is guaranteed to have an American finalist.