Tommy Haas has withstood a spirited fightback to prevail in five sets over John Isner at the French Open.
The 35-year-old will now play 29th seed Mikhail Youzhny in the fourth round after he defeated Janko Tipsarevic in straight sets.
Haas needed just one break of serve to take the first set 7-5, before winning the second on a tiebreaker to put himself within touching distance of the fourth round.
However, Isner refused to go down without a fight as he struck back to take the third set 6-4.
The German set up a succession of match points in the fourth set, but the American produced some clutch serving just when he needed it to take it to a tiebreaker, in which he eventually prevailed 12-10.
That took the contest to a decisive fifth set. After an early exchange of breaks, which had proved hard to come by throughout the match, the final set could not determine a winner in regulation games.
Haas made the decisive breakthrough to go 9-8 ahead, giving him the chance to serve for the match. A 13th match point proved to be Isner's undoing, as Haas won through to the next round.
Michael Penkman
