NICE, France — Second-seeded John Isner hit 16 aces to reach the quarterfinals of the Open de Nice in a tight all-American contest with Steve Johnson on Tuesday.
Isner was made to play for nearly two hours by the 55th-ranked Johnson before sealing a 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-3 victory.
Also, sixth-seeded Nick Kyrgios used his strong serve to reach the second round with a 7-6 (5), 6-2 win over Mikhail Kukushkin. The 20-year-old Kyrgios, who is among the outsiders at the French Open after making the final at the Estoril Open and beating Roger Federer in Madrid, lost only two points on his serve in the second set and converted three of his five break chances.