MASON, Ohio — Former Illini tennis player Kevin Anderson, seeded 15th, defeated Leonardo Mayer 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-1 on Tuesday during the first round of the Western & Southern Open.
Meanwhile, John Isner’s summer surge ended with an opening-round loss to friend and doubles partner Sam Querrey, leaving the top-ranked American with some things to work out before the U.S. Open.
Querrey proved steady throughout a 6-3, 7-6 (3) victory against the 11th-seeded Isner on Tuesday, the first upset on the men’s side.
Isner had won 11 of 13 matches on hard courts this summer, winning the title in Atlanta, reaching the finals in Washington and advancing to the quarterfinals in Montreal.