NEWPORT, Rhode Island (AFP) - US top seed John Isner and Belgian sixth seed Olivier Rochus advanced to the final of the $500,000 ATP Hall of Fame Championships with straight-set semi-final victories on Saturday.
Isner, famous for winning the longest match in tennis history over Frenchman Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon last year, defeated Germany's eighth-seeded Tobias Kamke 7-5, 7-6 (7/4).
Rochus, who lost to American Mardy Fish in last year's final on Newport's grass, booked himself another chance at the crown by downing US qualifier Michael Yani 6-2, 6-4.
The lanky 26-year-old Isner, who has not lost a set all week and has dropped his serve only once, won his only career ATP title at Auckland last year but has advanced to his sixth career final, his first on grass.
It will be his first final since losing to Fish last July at Atlanta.
Isner, ranked 46th, fired 12 aces and won in 98 minutes to deny 2010 ATP Newcomer of the Year Kamke, ranked 96th, a trip to his first final after reaching the semi-finals for the first time in an ATP event.
Rochus, a 2009 Newport semi-finalist in addition to his 2010 finals run, needed only 73 minutes to oust a 361st-ranked foe who was 0-7 in career ATP main-draw matches before this week.
Rochus, who never faced a break point, is 2-6 in ATP finals. His only titles came on clay at Munich in 2006 and Palermo in 2000.
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