American John Isner fired 17 aces and didn’t face a break point en route to his third title on the grass at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, over Australian qualifier Matthew Ebden 6-3 7-6(4). His path to the final wasn’t what you’d typically see at a tour level event. His best win ranking wise came in the semifinals against #142 ranked Bjorn Fratangelo. Isner still managed to win in dominant fashion, not dropping a set the whole week, and only playing one tiebreaker in his four matches. After the match Isner said, “It’s been a few years since I won a tournament and it always boosts your confidence, so I’m looking forward to the rest of the summer.”
If a week like this is what he needed to boost his confidence, then it couldn’t have come at a better time. He’s scheduled to play every week throughout the US hardcourt season straight through to the US Open. That includes Atlanta, Washington, Montreal, Cincinnati, and Winston Salem. He’s typically had a lot of success throughout the summer hardcourt events with three titles in Atlanta, two in Winston-Salem, and three finals appearances in Washington DC, and one final appearance in Cincinnati. If his current form is an indiction to what type of summer he’ll have, I can imagine he will get his hands on a few trophies this summer.
Some might argue that playing a rigorous schedule the weeks leading up to the US Open isn’t ideal preparation for a major. For Isner’s case I don’t think it’s a bad thing; this is obviously the time of the year where he plays his best tennis so he might as well take advantage while he can. He’s in a unique spot where a lot of these tournaments have meaning to him. This week in Atlanta, he’ll be playing about an hour away from University of Georgia where he was a four-time NCAA All-American. The week before the US Open is his hometown event in Winston-Salem. Getting a player of his magnitude is a huge boost for the 250 level event. Tournament director Bill Oakes said, “John is always a crowd favorite since he’s a local guy and holds a special place in history as the champion of the first Winston-Salem Open.”
Throughout his career, Isner has managed to schedule well. You would imagine that if he makes a deep run in Cincinnati, which is the week before Winston-Salem, he’d pull out to get more rest for the US Open. In 2011, he managed to win the inaugural Winston-Salem Open and still managed to have his most successful US Open, reaching the quarterfinals before losing to Andy Murray. Overall more match play can’t hurt as he looks to turn around his season for the better–maybe the successful week in Newport is just what the 32 year old American needed to do just that.
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