Former Georgia star shines on tennis court

May 07, 2009

His big serve puts opponents on the defensive. A big forehand often has them scrambling along the baseline.

And lately, the 6-foot-9 former Georgia Bulldog is winning big as a professional.

He’s certainly one of the big names at the 2009 Tail Savannah Challenger and showed he could play the big points well after holding off upset-minded Ramon Delgado from Paraguay, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (2), in professional men’s tennis action at The Landings’ Franklin Creek Tennis Center on Wednesday.

Challenger tournaments are part of a developmental circuit conducted by the United States Tennis Association. There’s $50,000 in prize money with the winner pocketing $7,200. Earning qualifying points for the majors may have even greater importance.

“I’m playing as well as I’ve played (as a professional),” said Isner, after completing a match that was suspended because of rain Tuesday afternoon.

Isner is already headed for one of professional tennis’ biggest stages – the French Open. A few more big wins and he’ll qualify for Wimbledon, he said.

At Georgia, he helped the Bulldogs win the 2007 national championship. He turned professional soon after and advanced to the third round of the U.S. Open where he was one of just two players to take a set off Roger Federer.

This year, he defeated former world No. 1 Marat Safin and ninth-seeded Gael Monfils while advancing to the fourth round at Indian Wells.

Isner made the quarterfinals of the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston.

Two weeks ago, he won a Challenger event in Tallahassee, Fla., boosting his world ranking to No. 123 and qualifying him for a trip to Paris.

Isner needed only one break (actually two, an unforced error and a double fault by Delgado to win the eighth game) to get the first set off the No. 316 player in the world, but the match turned into a dogfight the rest of the way.

Delgado won the first five games of the second set and stayed on serve until the third set tiebreaker.

Isner rocketed an ace to begin the tiebreaker and added an ace and a service winner to end the affair.

“His serve is the big thing,” Delgado said. “From the baseline play is normal. But after the third set, I didn’t have a chance.”

Isner probably produced the match’s defining moment in the 11th game of the third set after rallying from love-40 to win and make it 6-5.

Isner views the tournament as a good preparation for the French Open which is also on clay.

“You want to get in as many matches on clay as you can before you head over there,” Isner said. “Last year (at the French Open), I lost in five sets (first appearance), after being up two sets to love. It was tough.

“That match (Wednesday) was just what I needed.”