WASHINGTON, Aug 7, (AFP): French top seed Gael Monfils saved a match point and edged John Isner 6-4, 3-6 7-5 (8/6) in a rain-disrupted match early Sunday to reach the final of the $1.4 million ATP Washington Classic.
Big-serving American Isner and fleet-footed showman Monfils staged a classic despite a rain delay at the start and two interruptions that pushed the end to 1:15 in the morning, when Isner netted a forehand after a Monfils lob winner.
After a split with Australian coach Roger Rasheed last month following three years together and a left wrist injury that kept him out for six weeks early in the season, seventh-ranked Monfils was thrilled to reach his first US final.
Monfils will play for his fourth career title at the hardcourt event against 54th-ranked Czech Radek Stepanek, who ousted American Donald Young 6-3, 6-3, in the other semifinal.
“It will be a tough match,” Monfils said. “He will be aggressive. I will have to be strong from the start because it won’t be easy.”

Stepanek has dropped five of seven meetings with Monfils, including their most recent clash two weeks ago on Hamburg clay.
Monfils reached his first ATP final since last November at the Paris Masters event and only his second outdoor hardcourt final since 2006, the other coming last year at Tokyo. His most recent title came last October at Montpellier.
Monfils, 24, must win five matches in four days to claim a fourth career ATP crown due to rain that forced him to play twice Thursday.
Isner, ranked 35th, had won 11 of his prior 12 matches but saw his career rivalry with the Frenchman leveled at 3-3. Isner, 26, won their first meeting in a 2007 Washington semi-final that went to three tie-breakers.
Rain dogged Monfils and Isner, delaying their start, returning after they had played only seven points and striking again after Isner held to lead 5-2 in the second set, sending Monfils to talk with new coach Patrick Chamagne.
“I had the feel of his game and his serve,” Monfils said. “I discussed with my coach and released all the frustration I had.”

Monfils took the only break of the first set to lead 5-4 when Isner smacked a forehand wide and the Frenchman held serve with a 109-mph ace to win the set.
But Monfils netted a forehand drop volley in the second game of the second set and Isner rode the break to claim the set, the only disruption coming during a pause after a 107-mph Isner serve hit a spectator in the face.
Stepanek, the oldest player in the world’s top 100 and oldest ATP finalist of the year at age 32, seeks his fifth career title in his first final since last year at Brisbane.
Stepanek, whose most recent ATP title came in 2009 at San Jose, could crack the top 30 with what he said would be the biggest title of his career.
“This tournament can give me a kick for the rest of the season,” Stepanek said. “If I can make it to the US Open and be seeded, that would be great for me.”
In San Diego, California, Vera Zvonareva clawed her way into a WTA San Diego Open final with Agnieszka Radwanska as the Russian top seed struggled before beating Ana Ivanovic in their semi-final on Saturday.

Russian top seed Zvonareva, a part-time student of foreign policy in Moscow, held off a comeback from former number one Ivanovic, with the Serb charging from 1-5 down in the final set and saving a match point on the way to 4-5.
But Zvonareva, who will play her third final this season, finally prevailed after almost two and a half hours on her second match point a game later.
Poland’s Radwanska, who has lost two matches to the Russian including at Miami in March, reached her second straight final in San Diego with a defeat of ailing Andrea Petkovic 4-6, 6-0, 6-4.
Petkovic, the second seed from Germany was hampered by a stomach virus and had to sprint through the stands to leave the court at mid-game in the second set as her stomach played up.
She returned, made her apologies and dropped the second set 0-6.
“I had something bad for lunch,” explained the German. “I tried eating a banana before the match but that made it worse. It was like a rock in my stomach that I had to get rid of.”
She added that the decision to run off court as opposed to perhaps being ill on it was a careful deliberation: “I didn’t want to be on (ESPN programme) SportsCenter for the next 25 years,” she joked, a reference to a clip of Pete Sampras once throwing up at the US Open that has received repeated play on television.

Against Ivanovic, who was number one in 2008 after winning the Roland Garros title, Zvonareva made life tough on herself.
The world number three dropped a lead in the opening set to lose it and needed seven set points to square the contest by winning the second.
In the third, she began with two breaks of Ivanovic but left it until late to secure the victory.
“I’ve had some tough matches this week,” Zvonareva said. “I had to pull this one out. It was a challenge, Ana played well and I’m glad I won.
“I’m excited to be in the final, Agnieszka is always tough.”
Radwanska, who has battled a right shoulder injury all week, was runner-up here last year to Svetlana Kuznetsova in her last appearance in a WTA final.
Despite the defeat, Petkovic will move into the Top 10 in the world rankings for the first time on Monday, displacing Australian Samantha Stosur.