John Isner continued winning tiebreakers and forced another tie after the match.

The two-time defending champion won the battle of the tallest players on the ATP tour, defeating Ivo Karlovic of Croatia 7-6 (3), 7-6 (3) on Friday to advance to the semifinals of the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships at Newport, R.I.

In the other quarterfinal match, No. 4 seed Lleyton Hewitt of Australia beat qualifier Jan Hernych of the Czech Republic 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-2, setting up a rematch up of last year final when Isner captured the title in straight sets.

On Friday, Isner won his 13th straight match on Newport's grass courts and raised his mark to 13-0 in tiebreakers during the streak.

When it was over, Isner, listed at 6-foot-9, claimed his height is listed incorrectly by the ATP - short an inch, which would tie him with Karlovic as the tallest player ever on the tour.

- Associated Press