(AP)
Updated: 2007-09-02 15:00

For one glorious set, the 184th-ranked Isner stayed right with the man who's been at No 1 for a record 187 straight weeks. And when Isner ended a 13-stroke exchange with a big forehand approach shot, then smacked service winners at 134 mph and 124 mph, he took that first set in a tiebreaker.

Isner punched the air and strutted to the sideline chomping on his white towel, while his supporters, some in Georgia Bulldogs regalia, jumped and yelled and barked their approval. The partisan home crowd rose, too; pretty much the only people in their seats at the ensuing changeover were the family and friends in Federer's guest box.

Remember: Federer has won 11 Grand Slam titles, while Isner has played in three Grand Slam matches, all this week.

"Four months ago, I was unranked," Isner said. "To go from that to beating Roger Federer in a set is pretty cool."

And was going through Federer's mind at that moment?

"I'm thinking, 'This could be a really difficult match from now on. I knew it from the start, but now I have proof.' I was worried," Federer acknowledged.

And then, nearly as quickly as Sharapova came unraveled, Federer came together. Remarkably, he did not make an unforced error - not a single one! - during a 105-point stretch that included the entire second and third sets in his 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 victory.

Federer even conjured up a lob that curled over the second-tallest man on tour and landed in a corner.

"Doesn't happen every day," said Federer, trying to become the first man since the 1920s to win this tournament four years running.

He set up a fourth-round meeting against Feliciano Lopez, who ended the run of 18-year-old Donald Young of the United States by winning in four sets. The Federer-Lopez winner will take on the winner of No 5 Andy Roddick vs. No 9 Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals.

One minor upset came when No. 19 Andy Murray lost to 43rd-ranked Lee Hyung-taik 6-3, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5. Lee, in the US Open's fourth round for the first time since 2000, will meet No 4 Nikolay Davydenko, who defeated No 28 Nicolas Almagro.

Roddick, the 2003 US Open champion and runner-up to Federer last year, zoomed 19 aces and zipped past 2002 Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson 6-3, 6-2, 6-0, then explained to the crowd, with a wink and a smile, why he was in a hurry.

"I've got to try to find myself a hot date later," said Roddick, who's dated actress Mandy Moore and been linked to Sharapova in the past, "so I tried to get off the court a little faster."

He's spoken about being pleased to see other US men making strong showings, taking some of the attention away. His Davis Cup teammate, No 6 James Blake, beat Stefan Koubek 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-1 in a match that finished after 1 am Sunday, but Young and Isner couldn't keep pace.

      1   2   3     

      1   2   3