American Grand Slam hopeful John Isner had a difficult match when he faced veteran Xavier Malisse. The Belgian put in his best foot forward, and hardly made any mistake through the course of a fiercely fought match. The match finished at 6-3,7-6(5),5-7,7-6(9) with the American smashing 59 winners en route to that win.

The first set started ideally for the American as he held serve, and did so with the utmost ease. The lanky right hander looked up for the match, and kicked into top gear from the word go. He took that early break of serve and built on it, continuing to attack the Malisse serve and holding his own. It was in the seventh game that Isner faced his first break point, but the Malisse couldn't not capitalize as the American took the set 6-3. Isner served 5 aces in that set.

Click here to re-live Isner's win over Malisse!

The second set was a far closer affair, as neither of the two players were broken on serve. Malisse had really lifted his game since that second game of the first set. The Belgian continued that up surge in that first set and forced the set into a tie break, and was never threatened on serve. The Amrican though was the first to get that mini-break in the tie break and closed out the set winning it 7-6(5).

The story changed a little in the fourth as the Belgian got the early break of serve against the run of play it has to be said. Both players then continued to hold serve until the eighth game where the American cut loose and broke the Belgian's serve smashing a couple of winners. Just when it seemed that the American will tighten the screws, the Belgian fought back and broke the World No.10 in the eleventh game of the set. Malisse arrowed 5 aces and smashed 13 winners in the third to take us to a fourth set.

The fourth set started off on even terms and continued to be just that up until the tie break. Neither player could get a minibreak too for the longest time, but in the end it was Isner who won that set 7-6(9).