ATLANTA (AP) — Top-seeded defending champion John Isner overcame a slow start Friday to advance to the Atlanta Open semifinals, beating Australia's Marinko Matosevic 7-6 (8), 6-4 in hot conditions. Isner's service game was off as Matosevic broke the American in the first game of the match, and the former University of Georgia star had to fight off break points in his second and third service games to make the semifinals for a fifth straight year. He was helped, too, by the timing of Matosevic's six double faults. Isner won the event last year after falling in the 2010 and '11 finals to Mardy Fish and reaching the 2112 semifinals and losing to eventual champion Andy Roddick. The 6-foot-10 fan favorite wrapped up the match with his 17th ace, yet won a modest 70 percent of the points on his serves, well below the ATP Tour-leading 93 percent rate he carried into the quarterfinals. In Saturday's semifinal, Isner will play the winner of Friday night's quarterfinal between American Jack Sock and Slovakia's Lukas Lacko.Read more on NewsOK.com