John Isner has played some of his best tennis in the last month in Miami and Indian Wells, but the lingering question is: can he use his momentum to put together a successful European clay court season?
The 6ft10 American has never hidden the fact that he prefers to play in his home country, but if he wants to get back into the top ten he is going to have to start being comfortable playing in other places. In Miami, Isner started moving to the net more often and with more clout against Milos Raonic and Kei Nishikori. He was authoritative from the baseline, choosing to be more selective about when he runs around his backhand. He also played first-strike tennis, giving his opponents no rhythm. These are things that he needs to do on all surfaces, but especially on clay.
On paper, Isner’s game should translate well to clay. In fact, U.S. Davis Cup Captain Jim Courier had so much confidence in Isner’s clay game he decided to play him in a tiebreaker on clay. Isner’s career record on clay is 39-38, with his only title coming in Houston. His best French Open showing was the fourth round last year; his run ended with a pretty forgettable straight-set loss to Tomas Berdych. Before last year, he had made the third round twice at Roland Garros. He has an abysmal 2-5 record in Rome and made the third round of Madrid twice.
The hardest parts for Isner are the extra footwork needed for the dirt and his confidence in his return games. Isner can get lazy with his footwork, and that has ultimately cost him matches. He also needs to find a way to be confident in his return game, so if he gets broken he won’t just give up the set. Isner struggled in the Miami Open semi-finals against Novak Djokovic with both his footwork and his confidence. Once Isner was broken in the second set, he almost seemed to give up hope.
If Isner wants to be successful on clay, he has to play confidently and not be afraid to go for his shots. If he can do that, he could make a deep run in a Masters 1000 and possibly the French Open. However, if he struggles, he could go out to one of the many dangerous clay specialists such as Feliciano Lopez or David Ferrer.
This may be the most crucial clay season of his career, particularly as he is nearing his thirties. Before Indian Wells and Miami, he really struggled this year. He turned things around after a tough Davis Cup loss to James Ward and a decent showing against Andy Murray.
If Isner does well on the European clay, it could propel him back in to the top ten, but if he struggles, he could find himself out of the top 30 and he could even get passed by the next crop of young Americans. It will be interesting to see what Isner and coach Justin Gimelstob come up with for a game plan to make Isner feel more at home in Europe.
