Isner wins first clay court title

Fifth seeded John Isner claimed his sixth career title and first on clay by beating Nicolas Almagro in straight sets in the final of the US Clay Court Championships on Sunday. The hard-serving American blasted seven aces en route to a 6-3, 7-5 win over the Spanish clay court specialist at River Oaks Country Club in Houston.
Isner, who was the runner-up in this event last year, went one better this time, being broken just once in the 81-minute match. "I've always known I could play well on clay," said Isner. "This week is a little surprising, as Monday was the first day I hit a ball on clay since September.