John Isner replaces Mardy Fish as top seed in Newport next week – Tennis News
American giant John Isner catapulted into the top seed position at the 2011 Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport, U.S.A after previous top seed, world number nine Mardy Fish pulled out of the event.
A part of the ATP 250 series, the event is played on outdoor grass courts. Playing in its 35th edition this year, the event is scheduled from 4th July to 10th July.
The defending champion at Newport, Fish pulled out of the event after a press release late Tuesday night announced his participation in the team that will contest the 2011 Davis Cup quarterfinals, where Team U.S.A takes on Team
Spain from 8th July to 10th July. Fish won the title at Newport in 2010 after he bounced back from a set down to do away with German Olivier Rochus, securing a 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 win.
Contesting in his third year here, Isner has never made it past the first round. A debutant in 2007, Isner fell to Belarusian d**k Norman in the first round. A year later, he again failed to make it into the second round, after
losing to compatriot Jesse Levine. The giant has never managed to win a set here, though he hopes to turn things around this time as he enters the playing field as a wildcard entrant.
Pleased with Isner’s return to Newport, Tournament Director Mark L. Stenning said, "We are very pleased to welcome John back to Newport for the third time. He's a great addition to our field, which is a very athletic, competitive
group, with players like former World No. 2 Tommy Haas, big-server Ivo Karlovic and young gun Ryan Harrison."
With only one title to his name, Isner hopes the top seed position at Newport might just add to the collection and end his title drought, having last won a final match at Auckland in 2010. Since then the American has contested
in three more finals with the most recent at Atlanta in July 2010.
Although the absence of any top-ten player in the draw certainly raises the chances of a successful final run for Isner, his form this season suggests otherwise. Falling to Argentine David Nalbandian in the quarterfinal at the
season opener in Auckland, Isner failed to defend his title. Since then it was a downward spiral for the American giant as he suffered multiple first or second round exits. His Grand Slam runs also left something to be desired, exiting the Australian Open
in the third round against Croat Marin Cilic and then at the Roland Garros in the first round against eventual champion, Rafael Nadal. His only other, slightly notable, performance for the year came in April at Houston when he made it to his only second quarterfinal
of the season.
Joining Isner in the main draw are number two seed Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, number three seed Igor Kunitsyn from Russia and number four seed, Isner’s compatriot Ryan Sweeting.
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