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WASHINGTON -- Trailing in a tiebreaker against top-seeded John Isner, Steve Johnson managed to put a 146 mph serve into play and then decided to try something even more audacious: lob his 6-foot-10 opponent.Much to Johnsons surprise, the looping backhand worked, winning the point. Hanging in there against the big-serving Isner, Johnson weathered a total of 12 set points and withstood 29 aces to win their all-American quarterfinal at the Citi Open 7-6 (7), 7-6 (15) on Friday.Youre never too tall to lob. I thought he was going to close in really hard. And I just hit a good lob. I mean, thats about it, the fifth-seeded Johnson said about the point that came with Isner ahead 5-3 in the opening tiebreaker. I dont know if Ill ever try to lob him again and itll work, but luckily it worked today.Isners take?I love Stevie to death, he said, but I dont think that backhand lob he it -- I dont think he could do that all the time.Isner is a three-time runner-up at the hard-court tournament, including a year ago, when he beat Johnson in the semifinals. This time, Isner was unable to convert five set points in the opening frame and another seven in the second. When he lost the first tiebreaker on Johnsons forehand winner, Isner mangled his racket by slamming it to the court.The second tiebreaker was even longer and more excruciating for Isner. On his second set point, at 6-4, he got a good look at a short return by Johnson but shanked a forehand long.I dont think hell ever do that again, Johnson said. I dont know what happened.Heres how Isner explained it: I pulled up and got tentative.Not quite the longest tiebreaker of the season -- Isner lost one 18-16 last month -- it ended when he double-faulted for the only time in the nearly 2-hour contest to set up a sixth match point -- so lucky, Johnson said later -- then pushed a forehand wide.Johnson, ranked a career-best 25th, won despite never earning a break point against Isner. But Johnson saved all six break chances Isner accumulated and wound up with 22 aces himself.I certainly, in my opinion, put more pressure on him that he put on me, Isner said.Earlier Friday, sixth-seeded Jack Sock lost another two-tiebreaker match, beaten by 13th-seeded Ivo Karlovic of Croatia 7-6 (4), 7-6 (6).Karlovic hit 26 aces, saved all four break points he faced and reached the semifinals in Washington for the first time since 2007. Hell play Johnson on Saturday.Sock had a chance to force a third set against Karlovic, holding a set point at 6-5 in the second tiebreaker. But Karlovic erased that with -- what else? -- a 133 mph ace, then delivered a 130 mph service winner to get to match point. He won when Socks forehand clipped the net tape and flew wide.I feel like I scrap pretty well and get a lot of returns back and I still cant break the guy, Sock said. No matter who he plays -- any round, any tournament -- it comes down to a point here and there.The 37-year-old Karlovic, a 6-foot-11 Croatian, is coming off a title on grass at Newport, Rhode Island, last week.He is the oldest man to win an ATP singles tournament since 1979.Asked what its like to enter events where he could potentially face a teenager -- Zverev, for example, is 19 -- Karlovic replied: Yeah, I mean, I could be their daddy.After a brief pause, he added: And, I mean, who knows? Maybe I am.Then he cracked a big smile, rocked back in his chair and said, No, no, Im joking.The other semifinal will be second-seeded Gael Monfils against seventh-seeded Alexander Zverev. Monfils advanced by beating American Sam Querrey 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, while Zverev defeated No. 4 Benoit Paire 6-1, 6-3. Cheap Bucks Jerseys . -- Running backs Darren McFadden and Rashad Jennings were back at practice for the Oakland Raiders on Wednesday despite being hampered by hamstring injuries. Custom Bucks Jerseys .ca. Kerry, Just watched the shootout in the Coyotes/Leafs game and I have to ask, why was the James van Riemsdyk goal allowed to count? All of the video replays we were shown on TV were inconclusive about whether the puck had entirely crossed the line or not. http://www.custombucksjersey.com/ . While hell be dialed in to that tournament on a course he loves, you can forgive him if his eyes glance down the calendar just a bit, towards April. Bucks Jerseys China . The team said Saturday that Lopez was hurt during its 121-120 overtime loss at Philadelphia on Friday. The Nets said they would issue another update next week after consultation with their doctors. Oscar Robertson Jersey Large . Thousands of fans at Mosaic Stadium will be cozying up to each other in an effort to stay warm in chilly temperatures and block the Prairie wind that locals say can knock your socks off. DALLAS -- Chandler Parsons swished a 3-pointer just a few feet from Dallas owner Mark Cuban and turned in the direction of his former boss.Maybe that was Parsons simply trying to say, `Thats what I can do when Im healthy.Parsons scored 12 points in his first game against his former team, helping the Memphis Grizzlies to an 80-64 victory Friday night over the injury-plagued Mavericks, who flirted with franchise worsts for scoring and shooting percentage.Cuban waited out Parsons postgame TV interview before sharing a brief moment with a player who had both his seasons in Dallas shortened by knee surgery, part of the reason he landed in Memphis on a max deal.He just said, glad Im playing and good to see me back out there, Parsons said. Obviously, hes frustrated with how their seasons going, but theyll bounce back.Parsons is on a minutes restriction, just as he was a year ago with the Mavericks. He was 3 of 5 from 3-point range and added a couple of rebounds in 23 minutes.I wish I would have played more, honestly, if it wouldnt have been a little out of hand there, Parsons said. I feel like every game Im getting better, Im getting more legs.Dallas was without Dirk Nowitzki (strained Achilles tendon) and its top three options at point guard in Deron Williams (left calf strain), J.J. Barea (torn left leg muscle) and Devin Harris (right toe sprain).The Mavericks avoided the franchise low of 62 points from 1997 when Argentine rookie Nicolas Brussino made a 3-pointer with 24 seconds remaining. Dallas (2-9) matched its worst start since going 2-9 during Nowitzkis rookie season in 1998-99.If youre looking for me to make some kind of a crazy statement about how bad things are, thats not how I do business, coach Rick Carlisle said. Im going to keep stressing the positives, and were going to keep working to get them better.Harrison Barnes led the Mavericks with 15 points on 5-of-17 shooting. Seth Curry, the starting point guard because of all the injuries, scored 11 while shooting 4 of 14 from the field.Marc Gasol scored 11 for Memphis, as did Tony Alleen after missing four games with a right groin injury.ddddddddddddFLIRTING WITH DISASTERThe Mavericks were shooting 25.4 percent through three quarters -- the franchise low is 27.4 percent from the expansion season of 1980-81 -- after going 8 1/2 minutes without a field goal in the second quarter and adding a 6 1/2-minute drought in the third.Dallas, which matched a franchise low for the second quarter with 10 points, shot 43 percent in a 23-point fourth to finish at 28.8 percent.A FRIENDLY REMINDERThe Mavericks led 27-23 in the second quarter before a 17-minute stretch in which they scored just six points. The Grizzlies, who have another former Dallas player in Vince Carter, led 51-33 at that point. They were sluggish early two nights after handing the Los Angeles Clippers just their second loss, and in the finale of a four-game road trip.We stopped being friendly, Memphis coach David Fizdale said. If you watched the first quarter, everybody was having conversations with the other team like they were all pals. And we dont have the luxury to be buddies.TIP-INSGrizzlies: Zach Randolph scored 10 points, and JaMychal Green had a game-high 12 rebounds. ... Point guard Mike Conley had a season-low eight points but led the Grizzlies with two blocks.Mavericks: Jonathan Gibson, a training-camp cut who re-signed Friday because of the injuries at point guard, had 11 points and a team-high three assists. ... Barea told a Spanish-language newspaper that he expected to miss four to six weeks with a muscle tear. He said he feared he had a more serious Achilles injury.UP NEXTBoth teams are in a stretch of playing six out of seven games on the road. The Mavericks just had their only home game and are headed to Orlando for the second night of a back-to-back before visiting San Antonio on Monday. The Grizzlies get their only home game in the stretch against Minnesota on Saturday night before a trip to Charlotte and Philadelphia. ' ' '