2010 U.S. Open: Isner’s Ace Explosion
A fair share of Americans inclusive of Andy Roddick, Vania King and Melanie Oudin stood defeated on their own home-ground in the initial few stages of the U.S. Open this year. On the contrary, the whopping 6 ft 9 inches tall, John Isner gave the nation something to brag about.
The 25 year old American stunned the audience with the amount of aces he constantly kept producing during his second round match played against Swiss man, Marco Chiudinelli. Isner cracked twenty-four aces in the game that lasted a little less than three hours.
Isner played fairly well in the first set of the second round match. The sportsman took the set based upon his six game to three win against Chiudinelli. The tables were however turned on Isner as Marco fought back in the second set of the match.
Due to an injury two weeks prior to the match, Isner seemed very tense after Chiudinelli rose up in terms of performance in the second set. John twisted his ankle during a warm up event and appeared to have been allowing Marco and the game get to him.
“For more than a week I couldn't do any physical activity, so I felt like I lost some of my shape… My legs weren't there. That's from lack of training recently. So I was kind of dealt a bad hand coming into this tournament. But I conserved energy well... My serve and forehand pretty much bailed me out,” stated Isner, in a press conference.
Chiudinelli verily won the second set six games to three. In the set to follow, apart from keeping his composure, Isner also kept breaking out aces. Upon being tied 6-6 with Marco in the second set, the American sportsman clinched the second set 7 games to 6 on the tie-break.
Furthermore, Isner took the deciding fourth set of the match six games to four, only to eliminate the Swiss man and make a place for himself in the round to follow. Quite clearly, the 24 aces and 70 winners hit past Chiudinelli were enough to compensate for John’s recent injury.
Prior to his second round win, Isner knocked out Portugal’s Frederico Gill from the tournament. Gill was defeated 6-4, 6-3 and 6-4 in straight sets by the American sportsman. John will be made to face Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny in the third round of the 2010 U.S. Open.
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