Saturday, February 16, 2013

Haas, Raonic reach SAP Open final

   Tommy Haas just keeps on going.
   Haas, a 34-year-old German seeded fourth, upset second-seeded John Isner of Tampa, Fla., 6-3, 6-4 Saturday to reach the final of the SAP Open at HP Pavilion in San Jose.
   "I saw his serve extremely well today, and that obviously helps when you’re playing someone like him," Haas, ranked No. 22 after reaching a career-high No. 2 in 2002, said of the 6-foot-9 (2.08-meter) Isner. "This is the type of surface where if you can hold serve and put some pressure on the opponent, it really works out well."
   Haas will face another big server in Sunday's 3 p.m. (PST) final. Milos Raonic, the top seed and two-time defending champion, advanced with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over third-seeded Sam Querrey, a native of nearby San Francisco.
   Raonic has never lost a set in 12 career matches in the SAP Open. He will play Haas for the first time.
   Isner, the top-ranked American at No. 16, has not been in top form lately. He suffered a knee injury early last month and missed the Australian Open. Isner returned two weeks ago, going 1-1 against Brazil in the first round of the Davis Cup on an indoor hardcourt in Jacksonville, Fla.
   "I just couldn’t find my first serve (against Haas) when I really needed it," Isner said. "He played well; there’s definitely no shame in losing to him."

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