John Isner Tennis : News Releases

Isner Unafraid to Live on the Edge

info@johnisnertennis.com (John Isner Tennis) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 04:00:00 GMT

It can’t be easy being John Isner these days. For one thing, he’s no longer identified as “6-foot-9 John Isner” or “former Georgia Bulldog John Isner.” His epic first-round clash at Wimbledon with Nicolas Mahut about a month ago has left him with a name so long it rivals that of some Austro-Hungarian blueblood or a character in American Indian folklore.

The fresh-faced 25-year-old is now officially identified in any first reference with a qualifying phrase: “John Isner, who gained fame by winning the longest match in Wimbledon history, a three-day, 183-game match …” You read the poor kid’s name now and you have to stop halfway through to take a breath.

What’s funny about the situation is that Isner has backed up this hard-earned accolade by becoming a guy who just doesn’t go the easy route — not for him that 7-6, 6-4 win, or even that 6-7, 4-6 loss. If a typical John Isner tennis match were a book, it would be Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace.” If it were a pop song, it would be Iron Butterfly’s “In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida.”

We might have seen all this coming when Isner first popped onto our radar in Washington D.C. in 2007. There, he accomplished an absurd record: five straight match wins in third-set tiebreakers, before he lost to Andy Roddick in the final.

Isner has worked that territory ever since, and he was at it again Sunday in Atlanta. This time, it didn’t work out so well, as he lost to his resurgent countryman, Mardy Fish. But the final score had “Isner match” written all over it: 6-4, 4-6, 6-7 (4). The struggle lasted 2 hours, 45 minutes, and the on-court temperature hovered near 150 degrees Fahrenheit all the while.

The match featured what we can now identify as Isner’s basic modus operandi. His strategy in most matches is a steady combination of aerial bombardment accompanied by tedious trench warfare: Give an inch, take an inch. Why should Isner be in some big rush to break serve, when he knows his own serve won’t be broken unless he helps his opponent get the job done by doing something silly?

Tiebreakers smell like money to this kid; he can’t resist the aroma. But his penchant for living dangerously has also revealed something unexpected about his personality as he’s blasted his way into the top 20 (he’s presently No. 19). He’s proved many times over that beneath his soft-spoken manner and baby face lie vast reservoirs of stamina, tenacity and resolve.

OK, so Isner has lost three of the four finals in which he’s appeared this year. That bugs him. So does the distraction posed by that borderline-surreal record-breaking match at Wimbledon, which he’s taken to describing in less-than-reverent terms. “You want to win this tournament,” Isner said after his loss to Fish. “But it was really pivotal that I was able to get four matches under my belt. I had other things I was doing [lately] because of that stupid Wimbledon match I played.”

Well, the Mahut match is ancient stupid history. But it also looks more and more like an emblematic — rather than merely freakish — episode. So get used to Isner’s storkish frame, that monster serve and those epic matches littered with tiebreakers. But let’s simplify his name to one that still says it all — Long John Isner.

Fish Beats Isner in Atlanta Final

info@johnisnertennis.com (John Isner Tennis) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 04:00:00 GMT

ATLANTA — Mardy Fish won his second straight tournament and 10th straight match, beating John Isner 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) in the finals of the Atlanta Tennis Championships on Sunday.

Fish, who won in Newport earlier this month, took the first four points of the tiebreaker. Isner rallied to win the next three points but couldn’t pull even.

With temperatures in the mid-90s, the match lasted 2 hours, 45 minutes. The on-court temperature hovered near 150 degrees.

Americans Scott Lipsky and Rajeev Ram beat Rohan Bopanna of India and Kristof Vliegen of Belgium 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 12-10 in the doubles final. Lipsky and Ram did not lose a set until the final.

Brutal Conditions in Atlanta Can't Stop Isner

info@johnisnertennis.com (John Isner Tennis) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Throughout the week at the Atlanta Tennis Championships, John Isner has enjoyed the full-throated support of Bulldog Nation.

In Saturday’s semifinal, that advantage wasn’t quite enough for him to wobble past Kevin Anderson on a day ideal for growing cactus and avoiding outdoor racket sports.

The Georgia grad needed more, and the atmosphere obliged. Completely gassed after two sets, Isner revived when a puffy cumulus cloud hid the sun for most of the third set. He staggered to a 6-3, 6-7 (7), 6-3 victory, giving him a spot in Sunday’s 3 p.m. final against Mardy Fish, who knocked out top-seed Andy Roddick 7-6 (5), 6-3.

Call it home-cloud advantage.

“I would attribute it to the cloud,” Isner said of his second wind. “Honestly, the temperature dropped so much when that cloud comes over. The sun is just brutal.”

ESPN, which broadcast the match from the Atlanta Athletic Club, reported that on-court temperatures got as high as 147 degrees. Six spectators were treated on-site by paramedics.

“That’s as hot as I’ve ever been,” said someone with experience in being out in the sun, Georgia men’s tennis coach Manny Diaz. “I don’t know how they do it.”

Isner, the world No. 19, managed, barely. He won the first set by breaking Anderson in the fourth game before he staggered in the second set. Clearly spent, Isner seemed to offer token resistance when Anderson was on serve. He managed only one point in Anderson’s final three service games of the second set.

“He kind of hit the wall there,” said Diaz, who coached Isner at Georgia.

After losing the tiebreaker — he squandered two match points — Anderson and Isner retired for about a 10-minute break. Then, the cloud. Both players held serve until 4-3, when Isner broke Anderson, then served out for the match.

“It cooled off a lot once the sun went [behind the cloud],” said Anderson, ranked No. 96 in the world. “I think that maybe helped him out a little bit, just in terms of the heat factor.”

Isner did his part, showing the will and fitness that has produced a 15-7 record this year in matches decided in the decisive set, including, of course, his epic Wimbledon victory.

“That’s something he had [at Georgia],” Diaz said of Isner’s fortitude. “Inside, he’s always had that as long as I’ve seen him.”

Isner has made significant gains in the past year in power and his ability to sustain it, Isner’s trainer Kyle Morgan said. He noted that 110 games into the fifth set of Isner’s marathon match at Wimbledon, Isner still was rifling serves at 130 mph.

“He’s confident right now,” Morgan said. “He knows he’s got the legs, knows he’s got the power. He just had to step away for a second, cool off and obviously, he came out firing.”

Isner will need fire against Fish, who has won nine consecutive matches and 15 of his past 17. After winning his previous event, two weeks ago in Newport, R.I., he has yet to lose a set this week.

Said Fish, “I’m as confident as I’ve ever been right now. I don’t think I’ve ever won nine in a row.”

Fish, ranked No. 49 in the world, will play for his fifth career title. Isner, playing his fourth final of the year, will go for his second of the year and his career.

Isner Beats Anderson to Reach Final

info@johnisnertennis.com (John Isner Tennis) — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 04:00:00 GMT

A daunting weather siren sounded as Isner prepared to serve on match point against Anderson.
Lightning was in the area. The appropriate answer was one final thunderous serve from the 6-foot-9 Isner.
Isner had 20 aces as he survived another challenge to his endurance.
With the siren wailing, Isner unleashed a service winner to end the match.
Isner gained fame by winning the longest match in history, a three-day, 183-game match at Wimbledon last month. The Atlanta semifinal, played about an hour from his University of Georgia college home, presented a different level of stress for Isner.
The temperature was 96 degrees for the start of the match. On the hard-court surface, the reading reached 147 degrees.
“The conditions were just brutal,” Isner said. “It definitely took a lot out of me.”
Isner said he relied on his “will to win.”
“Even though I am exhausted, I am able to use my energy smartly,” he said. “I am able to keep plugging away until I get my break eventually.”
Anderson said he went through six or seven shirts and had one drying on a fan if needed. But sweat-soaked shirts were not the only concern.
“I was sweating through my shoes,” Anderson said. “I was slipping quite a bit.”
Isner beat the 6-8 Anderson of South Africa in a matchup of two of the three tallest players in the ATP World Tour’s top 100 rankings.
The two were college rivals. Isner beat Anderson as Georgia beat Illinois to win the 2007 NCAA championship. Isner is 3-1 as a professional against Anderson.
Anderson provided a stiff challenge from the opening game, when he had a break point on Isner. Setting the pace for the match, Isner rallied to win the game. He saved each of the seven break points he faced in the match.
Isner appeared the most affected by the intense heat in the second set. He couldn’t hold serve when leading 7-6 in the tiebreak. Anderson won two straight points off Isner’s serve and then took the set.
The break between the second and third sets combined with cloud cover to give Isner a lift. The shade from the clouds dropped the on-court temperature about 30 degrees.
Isner led 4-3 in the third set before breaking Anderson’s serve for a 5-3 lead.
Then came the weather siren on Isner’s final serve.
“We didn’t know how long that was going to last,” Anderson said. “We just had to keep on playing. It kind of started just as he was starting to serve, which was kind of funny timing.”
Isner said he wasn’t worried about the threat of bad weather.
“I wasn’t even thinking that,” he said. "I was just trying to get the hell off the court.

Isner, Russell to Meet in Quarters

info@johnisnertennis.com (John Isner Tennis) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 04:00:00 GMT

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — John Isner did what he does best — pull out a long tennis match.

Isner, the No. 2 seed, fought through another final-set tiebreak with a 4-6, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (7) victory over Gilles Muller of Luxembourg in the second round of the Atlanta Tennis Championships on Wednesday night.

“I was able to play well when I needed to early in the second set, and the crowd would pump me up when I’d get down 15-40,” he said. “I just didn’t want to let them down. I didn’t want to lose my first match here.”

Isner, who became a household tennis name after winning a three-day, 183-game match at Wimbledon last month, improved to 16-5 in career final-set tiebreaks.

He had not played since losing in the second round at Wimbledon the day after his record win over Nicolas Mahut of France.

“With Gio as my opponent, he’s probably one of the last guys I want to play,” Isner said. “First match back [against] a big-serving left-hander, he’s not going to give you much rhythm. So that was a little bit working against me, but I just told myself to compete.”

Michael Russell will face Isner in the quarterfinals on Friday night.

“This win was huge,” said Isner, who earned his first career ATP Tour title earlier this year in Auckland. “Maybe one of the biggest of the year because I want to get some matches under my belt before going on to D.C. and the two Masters series events and the U.S. Open.”

Isner, now a tour-best 23-12 in tiebreaks this year, improved to 25-15 overall in 2010. He is ranked No. 19 on the ATP Tour and the second-leading American behind Andy Roddick, Atlanta’s top seed.

The tour’s leader in aces, Isner pushed his 2010 total to 705 with 33. He won the second-set tiebreak by taking the final three points, the last coming on Muller’s long volley. But Isner struggled all night against the serve of Muller, who had 29 aces on the hard-court surface.

“He was obviously hitting his spots very well,” Isner said. “Being tall like he is and a left-hander, everyone hates trying to return that serve — the one out wide, the slider — but it wasn’t that I was giving it to him. He was just hitting his spots.”

US Summer Series Kicks Off

info@johnisnertennis.com (John Isner Tennis) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 04:00:00 GMT

The 2010 U.S. Open Series gets underway on Monday with the Atlanta Tennis Championships. Andy Roddick and John Isner headlines a field that also includes Lleyton Hewitt.

Tennis is back in Atlanta for the first time in nine years. The Indianapolis event, which had always kicked off the summer hard-court season since the origination of the U.S. Open Series, has moved south and is now the Atlanta Tennis Championships.

The seventh-ranked American Andry Roddick will be seeded one, however, should have plenty of competition in the form of countrymen. John Isner, of new-found Wimbledon fame, is the No. 2 seed and has a first-round bye along with Roddick, third-seeded Lleyton Hewitt, and No. 4 seed Horacio Zeballos.

Isner Honored by US Olympic Committee

info@johnisnertennis.com (John Isner Tennis) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 04:00:00 GMT

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) announced softball player Alissa Haber and tennis star John Isner as its June Athletes of the Month, while the USA Softball Women’s National Team was awarded Team of the Month honors.

Haber (Newark, Calif.), made her presence known in her first appearance at the International Softball Federation (ISF) Women’s World Championships in June. Haber set several records while helping Team USA to a seventh consecutive World Championship on July 2. Haber’s most impressive performance at Worlds came on June 17 against 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Australia. She went 3-for-3, hitting two doubles, with one run and four RBI. In total for the month, Haber played seven games, starting all in the outfield. She went 14-for-20 at the plate with one walk for a .700 average (.615 for the event overall). Even excluding the two World Championship games that fell in July, Haber set the record for most RBI in a World Championship, scoring 19 (20 overall) to push her past Jessica Mendoza’s (Camarillo, Calif.) 16. She ranks fourth for most career RBI at Worlds, trailing three-time World team member Mendoza by only 10 RBI. Haber is now tied for first for the most doubles in a single Worlds, hitting all seven in June, and is second for most hits with 14 of 16 also coming in June.

Isner (Tampa, Fla.) went 1-1 in only two matches played during the month of June, but he took part in perhaps the most remarkable match in the history of tennis. Isner’s first round Wimbledon match against Nicolas Mahut spanned more than 11 hours over three days, before Isner finally won 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(7), 7-6(3), 70-68. The match was the longest in the history of tennis in both time lapsed and games played, and Isner broke the record for aces in a single match with 113. Heading into the summer hard-court season, Isner is currently ranked a career-high No. 18 on the ATP World Tour, making him the No. 2 American behind Andy Roddick.

The USA Softball Women’s National Team went 8-0 in June, en route to winning a seventh-consecutive and ninth-overall International Softball Federation (ISF) Women’s World Championship on July 2 by shutting out 2008 Olympic champion Japan in Caracas, Venezuela. The USA outscored opponents 84-6 in June (95-6 overall), highlighted by a 7-0, five inning win over host country Venezuela and a 20-0, three inning victory over Botswana. Four June victories were shutouts. In June, the Americans went 79-for-186 at the plate, averaging .683 as a team. The team hit 18 doubles, seven by Haber, nine triples, three by Kaitlin Cochran (Yorba Linda, Calif.) and four home runs, three from Jennie Finch (La Mirada, Calif.). USA batters were walked 30 times and even more impressive, struck out only 21 times in 186 at-bats.

Each National Governing Body may nominate up to but no more than one female, one male and one team per discipline. The winners are then voted on from that pool of nominees. Taking second place in this month’s female category was Serena Williams (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) who won five straight singles matches in June en route to capturing her fourth Wimbledon title and also captured the doubles title with sister Venus at the French Open. During the last week of June, Williams did not lose a single set en route to winning Wimbledon (the final took place July 3). Williams is now sixth all-time in Grand Slam titles with 13, surpassing Billie Jean King. On June 4, Serena teamed with sister Venus to win the French Open doubles crown for the Williams’ 12th Grand Slam doubles title. With the win, the sisters ascended to No. 1 in doubles for the first time in their careers, which made Serena just the sixth player in history to hold the No. 1 rankings in both singles and doubles at the same time. Coming in third place was Kayla Harrison (Middletown, Ohio). Harrison went undefeated in two World Cups in June to win back-to-back gold medals. She won all five of her matches en route to earning titles at the Venezuela and El Salvador World Cups where she defeated top players such as 2008 Olympic medalist Yalennis Castillo (CUB), 2009 Pan American champion Kaliema Antormachi (CUB) and nine-time Pan Am medalist Lorena Briceno (ARG).

Coming in second place in the Male Athlete of the Month voting by the slimmest of margins was Matt Emmons (Grand Rapids, Minn.). Emmons took home gold at both the USA World Cup and Belgrade World in June in the men’s 50m rifle 3 position and added a second medal at the USA event in the men’s 50m rifle prone event. He was a fourth-place finisher in the event at the Belgrade World Cup and also earned Olympic selection points with his performance. Taking third was Nick Delpopolo (Westfield, N.J.) who made his first two World Cup medals gold ones when he won both the Venezuela and El Salvador World Cups in June. Delpopolo went 4-0 in El Salvador where he defeated 10-time Pan Am medalist Ludwig Ortiz (VEN) in the final. At the El Salvador World Cup, Delpopolo won his first two matches to advance to the final where he avenged a loss at the 2010 Senior Nationals against three-time World Cup medalist Michael Eldred who Delpopolo threw to win gold.

Placing second in the team voting was the USA Women’s Water Polo National Team. The team went undefeated (3-0) in June en route to winning a gold medal and their fifth World League Super Final in the last seven years. The No. 1 ranked team in the world defeated Australia once, Greece twice, Canada and Russia en route to the title match. USA’s Brenda Villa was named MVP of the tournament, Betsey Armstrong top goalkeeper, and Kami Craig top center-forward for their play during the tournament. Coming in third place was Venus and Serena Williams (Palm Beach Gardens, Calif.), the world’s No. 1 doubles team. The sister pair won their 12th Grand Slam doubles title by capturing the French Open doubles crown on June 4. Without dropping a single set the entire tournament, Venus and Serena defeated Katarina Srebotnik and Kveta Peschke 6-2, 6-3, in the final for their fourth consecutive Grand Slam title. With the win, the sisters ascended to No. 1 in doubles for the first time in their careers, which made Serena just the sixth player in history to hold the No. 1 rankings in both singles and doubles at the same time. Later in June, the Williams’ won four matches at Wimbledon to reach the doubles quarterfinals.

Isner Debuts, but Lobsters Fall

info@johnisnertennis.com (John Isner Tennis) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 04:00:00 GMT

MIDDLETON — Arms from every direction reached for John Isner. On one side, a woman wanted a picture. On another, a small boy raised his arm as the brim of his cap pointed skyward, in hopes Isner would notice him. At Isner’s back, an older man wanted an autograph.

Isner took the picture, said hello to the boy, and gave his signature. He has always had to deal with people looking at him because he is 6 feet 9 inches. The kind of attention he got last night was different.

Isner was the main attraction at Ferncroft Country Club in his World TeamTennis debut with the Lobsters. No matter where Isner went, everyone wanted to talk to him about the match that made him world famous — the first-round Wimbledon victory over France’s Nicolas Mahut that stretched over three days and lasted 11 hours 5 minutes.

“It’s great to see all these people, and how they are excited about this match,’’ Isner said. “I’m excited to be a part of it. Their enthusiasm from me just meeting a lot of them is pretty cool.“

Isner was introduced to the sellout crowd before the Lobsters played the Springfield (Mo.) Lasers. He received the loudest ovation after the PA announcer yelled, “Ladies and gentlemen, do not try to outlast this man!”

Indeed, a large crowd wanted to see Isner play his first match since Wimbledon, where he played the longest match in tennis history.

After several media appearances, Isner was back for his World TeamTennis debut. And although he was ranked 18th in the world, Isner was worried about performing well.

“I am a bit nervous," he said before the match. “It’s nice to know everyone is here for you. I know a lot is expected of me. I think I’m good at playing well under pressure."

If he felt jitters, the fans didn’t seem to notice. Isner started the mixed doubles match with a hard ace down the left side corner. He made volleys, drop shots, and the occasional backhand winner.

But then the rain came, which delayed the match for more than an hour.

After the delay, Isner faced Rik De Voest in his singles set at Latitude Sports Club. In the final set of the match, Isner showed his powerful first serve, with numerous winners down the middle of the court at more than 100 miles per hour, which gave him the lead. After taking a 4-3 advantage, Isner won the set by breaking De Voest with two backhand returns.
br>
Since the Lobsters won the final set, they forced an extra set. Isner won the first game of overtime, but he couldn’t break De Voest’s serve as the Lobsters fell, 22-19.

Isner & Mahut Win ESPY Award For Best Record-Breaking Performance

info@johnisnertennis.com (John Isner Tennis) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 04:00:00 GMT

John Isner and Nicolas Mahut won the ESPY Award for Best Record-Breaking Performance for their marathon match at Wimbledon, beating out fellow nominees Roger Federer, Usain Bolt, Brett Favre and the Connecticut Women’s Basketball team.

Isner accepted the award from gold medalists Lindsey Vonn and Shaun White on Wednesday evening at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, and immediately paid tribute to the Frenchman.

“First off, I gotta say congrats to my opponent Nicolas,” said Isner, who won after 11 hours and five minutes on court. “He was an absolute warrior that day. You can’t fathom a match going 70-68 in the fifth, but somehow we did it. It was a pleasure to share the court with him that day.”

The 25-year-old American also thanked the fans, his team at Saddlebrook, and extended a special thanks to his trainer, Kyle Morgan. “Without him, I wouldn’t be able to last that long,” he said.

The first-round match stretched over three days, with the fifth set alone lasting eight hour and 11 minutes – 98 minutes more than the previous longest match on record. It concluded just in time to make the ESPY Awards cut, with nominations announced that same day

ESPY Award host Seth Meyers referred to the match in his opening monologue, joking, “By the time the match ended, the ball boys were ball men.”

5 Questions with Isner

info@johnisnertennis.com (John Isner Tennis) — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 04:00:00 GMT

At Wimbledon last month, John Isner was thrust into media attention and record books with his play in the longest professional tennis match.

Since the 25-year-old defeated Nicolas Mahut after 11 hours and five minutes, he has appeared on the “Late Show with David Letterman” and “Good Morning America” and thrown out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium.

Isner, who said he likes to don his University of Georgia T-shirts whenever possible, jumped at an opportunity to return to his alma mater to assist in a youth tennis camp last week.

That marked the first time he had picked up a tennis racket since Wimbledon.

With a No. 18 ranking, Isner said that he is ready to put Wimbledon behind him and begin training for the Atlanta Tennis Championships in Johns Creek that will run from July 19-25.

Q: Is it fair to say you’re the best basketball player on the tour?
A: You know, I’ve actually seen some guys with pretty good shots. But yeah, I would still take myself.

Q: What’s the best and worst thing about being 6 feet 9?
A: The best thing about being 6-9 is that it helps with my tennis game, especially with my serve. The worst thing is the hassles in traveling.

Q: You beat NASCAR racer Matt Kenseth 7-3 in a competitive game of pingpong last week in North Carolina. If you could go up against any athlete in any form of competition, who and what would it be?
A: Gosh, that’s tough. I haven’t played baseball in forever. I would say that I’d like to get in the batter’s box against a world-class pitcher who is just going to make me look like a fool. I’ve taken batting practice with 65 mph meatballs coming my way, and that was tough. So I’d just like to stand in there in front of, I don’t know, a Roy Halladay type of guy.

Q: Who’s got the best return of serve on the tour right now?
A: Andy Murray.

Q: How do you feel about Aaron Murray under center for the Bulldogs come fall?
A: Really confident, actually. He’s from Tampa, where I live now, and I follow a bunch of football all the time. From everything I read and all the footage I see of him, I’m confident. I know if the offensive line can stay together, and they are a good group, I think he’s going to do well. Especially with that offensive line and A.J. Green.