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By Adrianna Outlaw

(July 25, 2010) On a scorching Sunday afternoon in Atlanta, Mardy Fish kept his cool and winning streak intact.

Fish fought back from a one-set deficit to capture his second straight title with a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(4) victory over John Isner in the Atlanta Tennis Championships final.

It was the fourth all-American final of the season.

The sixth-seeded Fish extended his winning streak to 10 matches in capturing his second championship in the last three weeks. Fish beat Olivier Rochus, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 to win the Newport title on grass two weeks ago.

The second-seeded Isner hit nine of his 14 aces in the final set, but it wasn't enough against Fish, who found the range on his backhand down the line to stretch the 6-foot-9 Isner.

In the tie breaker, Fish looped a forehand that eluded Isner and followed with a service winner down the line to seize a 4-0 lead. Isner closed to 3-4 with a wide serve and inside-out forehand winner.

A pivotal point followed as Fish spun his slowest serve of the match — a 77 mph kicker — into the box and Isner's backhand returned tripped on top of the tape and settled wide giving Fish a 5-3 lead. Isner lifted a forehand return long and Fish had three championship points.



Two points later, a weary Isner, who looked drained from playing a long singles semifinal and a doubles match on Saturday, pushed a backhand pass long as Fish dropped ot his knees in collecting his fifth career title.

Isner dropped to 1-3 in finals this season. He opened the year beating Arnaud Clement to win Auckland before losing finals to doubles partner Sam Querrey in Memphis and Belgrade.

Fish double faulted to hand Isner the first break of the match and a 4-3 lead. Three games later, the former Georgia Bulldog all American rifled an acde down the T to take the first set, 6-4.

Playing his first day match of the tournament, Fish took a while to adjust to the heat, sun and wind on a 95-degree afternoon. He added some sting to his serve in the second set, winning 20 of 24 points on serve in the set. Fish held at love for a 5-4 lead. In the next game, Isner hit his third double fault of the set to face triple set point and pushed a forehand volley wide as Fish leveled the match.

Both men took a break at the end of the second set to change clothes and cool off. Fish was the fresher player at the start of the final set.

Lifting a backhand drop shot that fluttered to the court like a stray sheet of fabric softener, Fish held at love for 2-1.

A weary Isner double faulted then dumped a forehand drop shot into net to had Fish the break at love and a 3-1 lead.

A sloppy game from Fish gave Isner the break back as Fish flailed a wild forehand to fall into triple break point and dropped serve at love for 2-3.

Gagging on a backhand pass, Fish slowed his swing down almost to a stop and tapped a backhand into net to fall behind 15-30. Fish looped a high forehand wide of the sideline and Isner had a break point in the ninth game. Fish reached up and slid a 119 mph service winner down the middle to erase it. Fish steered a soft backhand pass down the line to hold for 5-4.

Pressed to 30-all in the 10th game, Isner hammered a 133 mph ace and followed with a service winner to forge a 5-all tie.

Shedding nearly 30 pounds in the offseason, a sleeker, fitter Fish streaked past former Boca Raton housemate Andy Roddick, 7-6(5), 6-3, to snap one streak and stretch another in Saturday night's semifinal.

Fish won his ninth consecutive match and snapped a nine-match losing streak to good friend and sometime doubles partner Roddick.

"It's one of the best wins I've had," Fish said. "Obviously, to come back from what I came through, it's big. It's tough beating a friend like that. He couldn't be nicer at the net. He said 'I'm so proud of you. I know how hard you've worked. Enjoy it.' "

The second-seeded Isner smacked 20 aces in a 6-3, 6-7(7), 6-3 victory over 6-foot-8 Kevin Anderson in a match played amid broiling heat Saturday afternoon. Isner and Fish had played once previously with Fish prevailing 6-2, 6-7(4), 7-5 in San Jose last year.

"He's got one of the best serves in the world," Fish said of Isner. "His second serve is going to jump through the roof. You've gotta hold serve and try to take advantages of your chances. This is the spot I wanted to be in, so we'll just enjoy it."