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Hobbled John Isner Still Making Strides At US Open
By Joe McDonald
© Natasha Peterson/Corleve
(September 3, 2010) Andy Roddick, the last American man to win a Grand Slam title, checked out in the second round. Qualifier Ryan Harrison, the most promising American teenager in tennis, couldn't convert three match points in suffering a gut-wrenching five-set loss today. Is 6-foot-9 John Isner America's best hope for making a footprint deep into the second week landscape of the US Open draw?
If Isner can serve with the authority he showed in cracking 24 aces in today's second-round 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(7), 6-4 win over Swiss Marco Chiudinelli then the big man could make giant strides, but Isner admits he still doesn't have his legs under him after suffering an ankle injury in Cincinnati last month.
"It's definitely been tough," said Isner, who was forced out of Cincinnati after suffering a right ankle injury in the second round. "You know, I started feeling it in the third set of my first match. I felt great. I actually felt pretty good right from the get‑go of my first match. I was thinking, Hey, this is a good omen. But then kind of hit me in the third set, and really throughout the whole match today I was feeling it. I don't feel like I had the pop on my shots that I normally would out there today."
The 6-foot-9 Isner generates much of his power on the most lethal serve in men's tennis through his tree-trunk legs and whipping right arm, but he concedes he's not at full strength.
“So, yeah, I'm struggling a bit physically. But, you know, I'm going to have to do my best to get myself up to 100%," Isner said. "I'm getting stronger. Although I'm out there and playing these long matches, I feel like I'm getting stronger, and I should be better for the next one."
The winner of the Eternal Match back in Wimbledon hurt his ankle back in Cincinnati and what was originally thought to be torn ligaments turned out to be just a sprain and he was cleared to play just a few days before the Open.
So without any practice or conditioning, the 18th-seeded Isner is taking it one match at a time and hopes he can play himself into match shape as each round progresses.
The question is will Isner be able to get a leg up on third-round opponent Mikhail Youzhny? The 12th-seeded Youzhny picked apart Dudi Sela, 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. A 2006 US Open semifinalist, Youzhny ran Isner ragged the last time they met, scoring a 6-7(8), 6-1, 6-3 decision in Montreal last year.
"I am going to need that," Isner said. "I think, you know, the focus, the rest of today and all day tomorrow, is going to be just to try to rejuvenate my body as much as possible to get me feeling as good as I possibly can going into that match. I'm going to have to play really well, do the same thing essentially today: serve well, hit my forehand well. Those are my two strengths. That's no secret.
"I played (Youzhny) in Montreal last year and it was three sets. But, you know, he kind of ran me off the court the last two sets. When he's on, he's really, really tough. For me, I kind of hope he's not on."
Even with his own problems to deal with, the 25 year-old is still keeping his eye on the up and comers like Ryan Harrison, especially after he lost that five-set heart-breaker today.
"Yeah, it's so tough," he said of Harrison. "I mean, personally I don't know how many fifth set sets I've played in. I think I've played in two this year, maybe four or five in my career, so it's not that — I'm not seasoned at it, either. It's something that obviously with maturity and the more times you're in that situation, the better you're going to be. But, I didn't see the match today. I don't want to say that — I mean, probably just have to give credit to Ryan's opponent. Ryan, he's obviously playing well and he's a huge future in this game."
Harrison’s time is in the future, but right now, Isner may be America’s great hope.
Joe McDonald is the publisher of TennisLedger.com where this article originated.
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