Johns Creek – In typical John Isner fashion, the former University of Georgia star took his throng of fans on another thrilling ride.
This time, though, he fell at the final hurdle.
Fellow American Mardy Fish outlasted Isner 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(4) to win the title of the inaugural Atlanta Tennis Championships on Sunday afternoon. In the midst of a 10-match winning streak having captured the Newport title earlier this month, Fish is one of the hottest players on tour right now. So, too, is Isner, and the result was a blockbuster final that needed a grueling two hours and 45 minutes to be decided.
A back-and-forth affair that featured a tantalizing momentum swings saw Fish and Isner produce the kind of tennis that fittingly had them on the brink of an ATP title. Isner struck first, breaking serve in the seventh game of the match before winning the opening set 6-4. Fish turned the tide in the second, dropping only four points in five service games and breaking at 5-4 to force a third.
Both players were suffering physically amidst on-court temperatures that soared past 100 degrees, and it was Isner who appeared to crack first. The No. 2 seed coughed up an expensive double-fault in the fourth game of the set and fell behind by a break at 3-1. Refusing to go down without a fight in front of a pro-Isner crowd, he broke back for 2-3 as “Georgia…Bulldogs” chants erupted throughout the stadium. From there each man held his serve en route to the ‘breaker.
A final-set tiebreaker is something Isner did not have at Wimbledon, where he outlasted Nicolas Mahut 70-68 in the longest match in tennis history. While this tiebreaker brought a merciful end to the two players’ incredible efforts, it proved to be Isner’s downfall. The crowd favorite fell behind 4-0 and although he clawed his way back to 4-3, Fish took the next three points to clinch his fifth career ATP title.
“It was so even,” said Fish. “He’s one of the toughest guys to play. A year ago I would have fallen over in the second set. It’s a testament to where I am physically and mentally.
“It was brutal again,” Isner said of the scorching heat. “I don’t think I’ve ever played in conditions this hot. My legs, they were hurting. Lungs too. It took a lot out of both of us.”
Despite Atlanta’s summer heat, Isner plans to thrill the fans at this tournament for many years to come. “I’ll be playing this tournament for a long time,” he assured.
And another showdown with Fish could be in the cards. “I’m looking forward to it,” Fish said of defending his Atlanta title in 2011. “It’s going to be a special place for me now.”
On Sun, Jul 25, 2010 at 12:01 AM, Ricky Dimon <ridimon@gmail.com> wrote:
ATLANTA TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS: Isner still alive, faces Fish in final
By Ricky Dimon
Former Georgia Bulldog star John Isner continues to use his dogged determination to pull out victories.
Isner, famous for his propensity for the thrilling tennis match, won another three-setter on Saturday afternoon to reach the final of the Atlanta Tennis Championships. The No. 19 player in the world missed two match points in the second set but rebounded to outlast Kevin Anderson 6-3, 6-7(7), 6-3 in two hours and 29 minutes.
To the delight of the fans, Isner finds himself in the final of this inaugural event, a destination that seemed uncertain if not altogether improbable for the No. 2 seed just three days ago. Isner fought off two match points–one in each of the last two sets–in his Atlanta opener on Wednesday night before defeating Gilles Muller 4-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(7).
Anderson almost turned the tide on Isner in Saturday’s semifinals. After dropping the first set, the former University of Illinois standout faced two match points in the second-set tiebreaker but saved one with an ace and the next with a backhand passing shot. It was not until Anderson double-faulted on break point at 3-4 in the third set that Isner finally regained control of the match.
“The conditions were just brutal,” noted Isner, who led Georgia to the 2007 National Championship (ironically, over Anderson’s Illinois team in the final. “I stayed strong mentally. I was able to play through and pull it out.”
While Isner and Anderson had to play in scorching heat that made the on-court temperature feel way more than 100 degrees, Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish played in more tame conditions in the nightcap. Fish also made sure not to play an Isner-like marathon, as he got better and better as the match progressed to upset the No. 1 seed 7-6(5), 6-3 in one hour and 41 minutes.
“He played really well,” Roddick said of Fish, his best friend on the tour. “He deserves the majority of the credit. I got outplayed in the second set for sure.”
Fish ended an eight-match losing streak against Roddick and is now 2-9 lifetime against his fellow American. He has far less extensive history with Isner. Their only previous encounter came last year in San Jose, where Fish–in what is perhaps a harbinger of Sunday’s title match–prevailed 6-2, 6-7(4), 7-5 after more than two hours.
“It’s gonna be tough,” Isner said of his task against an on-fire Fish, who has won nine matches in a row having also captured the Newport title earlier this month. “Mardy is playing exceptionally well right now; maybe the best he’s played in a long time.”
Sunday’s final–sure to be a big-serving, hard-hitting affair–will take center stage at the Atlanta Athletic Club starting at 3:00 PM.
On Sat, Jul 24, 2010 at 12:26 AM, Ricky Dimon <ridimon@gmail.com> wrote:
ATLANTA TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS: Isner, Roddick continue to heat up the action
By Ricky Dimon
Professional tennis has returned to Atlanta for the first time in nine years, and if the local fans are hungry for American success, they have not been disappointed.
Americans booked three of the four semifinal spots at the Atlanta Tennis Championships on Friday, as John Isner, Andy Roddick, and Mardy Fish joined 6’8” South African Kevin Anderson in the last four.
Atlanta residents Robby Ginepri and Donald Young each won a single match before bowing out of the tournament, but Isner and Roddick are still alive and thus providing the event with a marquee weekend billing. In his first match since Wimbledon, where he won the longest match in pro tennis history (11 hours and five minutes), Isner treated the fans to another thrilling win on Wednesday. The former UGA Bulldog saved two match points to defeat Gilles Muller 4-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(7), hammering down an amazing 33 aces in the process. Isner had a much easier time of it in Friday’s quarterfinals, as he trounced Michael Russell 6-1, 6-2.
“The crowd was great,” the No. 2 seed noted after beating Muller. “The whole crowd was in my favor. It helps, but it’s a different kind of pressure.”
Said Isner after cruising past Russell: “Being a Georgia Bulldog is the greatest thing in the world.”
That statement may not have sat well with some of the spectators, but they have been united in their support of both Isner and Roddick this week. Roddick has certainly made things interesting for the tournament faithful, needing three sets in each of his matches to reach the semifinals. The No. 1 seed and America’s No. 1 player took out Rajeev Ram 6-1, 6-7(1), 6-3 in his opener before staging a comeback to defeat No. 7 seed Xavier Malisse 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Friday night.
“Tonight was exceptional,” Roddick said of the sellout crowd. “They were getting behind me even when I was giving them no reason to get behind me.”
Malisse admitted that the entire stadium, as he expected, was for his opponent, but he still enjoyed the atmosphere. “It’s nice to have a huge crowd,” said the Belgian. “They were respectful.”
Despite the early exits by Ginepri, Young, and No. 3 seed Lleyton Hewitt, similarly boisterous atmospheres should be on the menu this weekend. Saturday’s semifinals will pit Roddick against Fish and Isner against Anderson. Fish has dismissed fellow Americans Ginepri and Taylor Dent, while Anderson has not dropped a set on his run through the draw.
Interesting storylines surround both semifinal showdowns. Roddick and Fish are best friends on tour and they played doubles together this week before Fish pulled out as a precautionary measure for a minor ankle problem after their first-round win. Isner and Anderson are two of the few pro tennis players who make it big on the circuit following a college career. In the 2007 NCAA Championship between Georgia and Illinois, Isner beat Anderson at the No. 1 singles spot to help give the ‘Dawgs a national title.
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