Defeat for Goldstein, No Repeat for Clement

Washington's Legg Mason Tennis Classic lost its defending champion and its local favorite in back-to-back matches yesterday on Center Court.

But in the shadow of the featured court's grandstands -- shortly after Rockville native Paul Goldstein fell to No. 15 seed Radek Stepanek and 2006 titlist Arnaud Clement bowed out to Thomas Johansson of Sweden -- an unheralded 22-year-old supplied the day's feel-good narrative on the cramped confines of Court 1.

That's where North Carolina native John Isner, just two months removed from leading the University of Georgia to the NCAA title, tossed his racket in euphoria and flung back his head in disbelief after upsetting eighth-seeded Benjamin Becker of Germany in a 2-hour 11-minute slugfest that was settled by a third-set tiebreak.

Isner's 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (8-6) victory came in only his third ATP-level match since turning pro this summer. And his performance, which included 30 aces and just two double faults, triggered cheers and fist pumps from a teeming crowd dominated by his hometown pals.

While it's premature to proclaim the 6-foot-9 Isner the future of American tennis, he has proven himself deserving of the wild-card entry he received on the eve of the tournament, having opened play Tuesday with an upset of former British No. 1 Tim Henman, the 2003 Legg Mason champion. Yesterday, Isner played with even more authority, buoyed by his ability to swap strokes with some of the world's top pros.

"These have been the biggest matches of my life and in my career," Isner said after making his way through a thicket of autograph-seeking fans, signing as many tennis balls and programs as time allowed. "I didn't feel any pressure out there because really, I had nothing to lose. I went out there and I wanted to do well and get lucky, and I did. It's unbelievable that I won these matches in the way that I did. It is a dream come true."

Clement, meantime, saw his hopes of defending his title quashed by Johansson, who was simply the steadier player down the stretch, prevailing 1-6, 6-3, 6-4.

"In the second [set] I got off to a good start, and I started to feel the ball a lot better," Johansson said. "I think in the beginning I was trying to go for it too much, but then I think in the second and the third I played really well."

Said Clement: "He was just better than me. He was more consistent on the serve and just a little bit better everywhere."

Second-seeded Tommy Haas, playing in his first match since withdrawing from Wimbledon with an abdominal strain on the eve of his fourth-round match against Roger Federer, defeated Alejandro Falla of Colombia, 6-3, 6-2. Croatia's Ivo Karlovic also sailed into the third round with little trouble, dismissing Russia's Evgeny Korolev, 6-3, 6-3.

With no wind to stir the air and few clouds to hide the sun, it was a day for straw hats and paper fans in the grandstands during the afternoon session. And on court, the sweltering conditions called for multiple changes of shirts.

Stepanek, the 15th seed, overcame cramps in his left hamstring to subdue Goldstein, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. Stepanek's reward is a third-round meeting today with the tournament's two-time champion, top-seeded Andy Roddick.

Only Andre Agassi, who retired after last year's U.S. Open, has appeared in Washington's annual summer ATP tournament more often than Goldstein. And the local favorite was riddled with mixed emotions as he bowed out, proud to have acquitted himself so well against Stepanek, who fired 14 aces in the match, yet disappointed to have not given his family and friends more reason to cheer.

"It was quite close," said Goldstein, who turns 31 on Saturday. "I played well, but Radek is playing great tennis right now. He's clearly playing with a lot of confidence. But at the end of the day, it's still a loss. A close one, at that."

Stepanek's serve was his chief asset in the first set. He connected on 80 percent of his first serves, never faced a break point and broke Goldstein's serve in the third game, forcing Goldstein to play catch-up from there. Goldstein struggled with his first serve and double-faulted on set point.

The Czech let Goldstein back in the match in the second set. He misjudged a few drop shots and sent a backhand volley long to get broken in the first game. While Goldstein struggled with his first serve, his return game was strong. And he gamely retrieved most of the drop shots Stepanek kept favoring, having been warned by fellow American James Blake to be ready for the tactic.

Stepanek called for a trainer after holding serve for a 4-3 lead in the third set. He flopped belly-first on the court while the trainer massaged the kinks. With the match nearing the two-hour mark, Goldstein used the break to change shirts yet again.

Goldstein's only sloppy game came when it mattered most, as he served to stay in the match at 4-5. Stepanek took quick advantage, breaking at love to advance to the third round.