TENNIS NCAA MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIPS : USC’s Isaak Reaches Today’s Semifinals

Donny Isaak, USC’s No. 3 singles player, advanced to today’s semifinals of the NCAA men’s tennis championships with two victories Friday at Athens, Ga.

Isaak defeated Harvard’s Albert Chang, 7-6 (7-5), 7-5, in the round of 16 and Michigan’s David Kass in the quarterfinals, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.

Isaak will face Stanford’s Jared Palmer, who advanced with a 6-0, 6-3 victory over Georgia’s Marco Baron and a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Jose Luis Noriega of the University of San Diego. Isaak lost to Palmer, 7-6 (7-4), 3-6, 6-4, Monday during USC’s 5-2 semifinal victory over Stanford in the team competition.

Third-seeded Alex O’Brien of Stanford will meet Georgia’s Patricio Arnold in the other semifinal. O’Brien ousted Pepperdine’s Alejo Mancisidor, 6-2, 6-3, and Arizona State’s Brian Gyetko, 6-2, 6-1.

Arnold scored two upsets Friday, eliminating the tournament’s top-seeded player, Conny Falk of Miami (Fla.), 6-4, 2-6, 6-3, and No. 8 Byron Black of USC, 6-2, 6-3.