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By Chris Oddo | Sunday April 1, 2018


He came. He saw. He conquered.

John Isner edged Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s Miami Open final, 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-4, ushering out a resplendent era of tennis at the Crandon Park Tennis Center in Key Biscayne by turning back the clock to a time when American men dominated the tennis scene.

AS IT HAPPENED: Miami Open Men's Final LIVE BLOG Sponsored by Tecnifibre

No, Sunday’s final was not filled with the mystery and tension of an Agassi-Sampras classic, maybe it didn't even move the needles as much as an all-American final between Jim Courier and David Wheaton, but it did serve as a fitting segue to a new beginning of a tournament that will next year be held at a new complex, built around and inside the Miami Dolphins current home at Hard Rock Stadium.

The era is not completely over, but it will never be the same, either.

Maybe American men will never dominate tennis like they have in the past, but with the end of the run of unprecedented dominance by the legendary members of tennis’ Big Four, featuring Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, nearing, there is hope in the air.


Suddenly wide open draws are the norm and opportunities abound. Juan Martin del Potro took his chances and won his first Masters 1000 title two weeks ago at Indian Wells, and today a more unlikely hero stepped up to the fore and became the first American to win a Miami title since 2010.

After a stretch of 69 Masters 1000 events without a title winner, American men have now won two of the last three.

Isner looked to be headed to his fourth straight defeat at the hands of the 20-year-old Zverev, but the German unraveled late in the second set and never truly recovered.

He was broken for 5-4 in the second set when a perfectly struck Isner forehand nuzzled up to the sideline—replays showed that it kissed a millimeter or two of the line—to give him his first break of the match.


Moments later Zverev scampered furiously in a last-ditch attempt to recover the break but Isner out-dueled him on both break points that he saw before closing the game and the set and wagging his figure as if to say there was no stopping him.

If that is what he meant, he was right.

Zverev certainly gave it all he had. He saved a break point after an ill-timed double-fault early in the third set then saved another four, rallying from 0-40 down to hold for 3-2. But on this day Isner would not relent. He sent the German’s hopes—and racquet—crashing down when he broke for 5-4 to inspire a furious racquet smash from the fiery World No.5, and at that point all that was left was the finger wagging.

In the final game Isner won the first point then drilled three consecutive aces to close his victory in two hours and 29 minutes.

The American finished with 18 aces and three of three break points saved on the day.

“I couldn't have scripted this,” Isner said after the final. “I came into this tournament, I won one ATP match all year and was playing very poorly. I won my first match in three sets and that's how tennis goes — you start to gain a little confidence and next thing you know things start to roll your way.”

His victory was significant in more ways than one. Isner had lost his previous three Masters 1000 finals, all to members of the Big Four. He had also began the season with a dismal 2-6 record, and was searching for any shred of form he could find.

That search is over now. As for the rest of the tour, who no doubt are taking notice that these types of titles can be won by mere mortals again, the quest is just beginning. If the Big Four is fading out of the picture, who will step up?

Zverev, who dropped to 2-1 lifetime in Masters 1000 finals, might be a likely candidate.

He would have become the youngest Miami champion since Novak Djokovic won his first of six Miami titles as a 19-year-old in 2007. He didn’t emerge victorious today but certainly he’ll have more opportunities down the road.

Prior to the Rome Masters last season, the Big Four had won 54 of the last 59 Masters 1000 crowns. Since then they have won one of seven.


Write off the Big Four at your peril, but the end of this unprecedented era of cutthroat, absolute domination by the biggest stars of the game is coming to an end. There may be tremors moving forward, aftershocks, but the initial damage will never be replicated.

That spells hope for the likes of Isner and Zverev going forward.

 

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