NEWPORT, R.I. — John Isner knows one thing: He won’t have to see Nicolas Mahut on grass again this year.

Top seed and defending champion Isner advanced to the quarterfinals at the Hall of Fame Tennis championships on Wednesday, beating France’s Mahut 6-2, 7-6 (2).

The win by Isner featured the two players that played the longest match in tennis history.

Two years ago, the pair played 11 hours, 5 minutes at Wimbledon, with Isner finally getting a 70-68 fifth-set victory.

This one didn’t have nearly the drama with the 6-foot-9 Isner using his overpowering serve to take charge. It ended when Mahut double faulted, ending the match in 1 hour, 18 minutes.

Last year, the pair met again at Wimbledon, with Isner winning in three sets in a match that lasted about two hours.

On Wednesday, playing under bright and sunny, late-afternoon skies with a slight breeze and a larger than usual crowd for the time of day, Isner ousted Mahut on Newport’s grass court.

“From the moment I warmed up today I knew I was going to play better,” said Isner, who struggled in his opening-round match Tuesday. “Getting that first match over yesterday helped a lot — even though it wasn’t the prettiest of matches.”