With American men off to a shaky start at the U.S. Open, 13th-seeded John Isner opened by beating fellow American Marcos Giron, 7-6 (5), 6-2, 7-6 (2). There can be no doubt as to who is the best of a beleaguered bunch of American men, the question is, at 29, can Isner finally break through to the elite?
“My season’s been pretty solid. I’ve been very consistent the last four years. [I] haven’t quite necessarily broken through, but I’ve played at a very high level,’’ Isner said. “This is the last Slam. I feel like I’m playing well. Anything can happen. I’m going to take it one match at a time, as cliché as that is. I know what I’m capable of, but it’s up to me to get playing well and advance in this tournament.’’
Isner’s best performance at a Grand Slam was a 2011 quarterfinal run in Flushing. Fans wondered then if it was a watershed moment, but he hasn’t duplicated it, much less built on it. Asked if he allows himself to have even loftier expectations, he insisted he has no tangible goal.
“No, I really didn’t set any goals for myself. I do what I can do and compete as best as I can and see what happens,’’ Isner said. “Doesn’t mean I don’t believe, because I certainly do. But just focus on myself and, you know, just take it as it goes and see what happens.’’
Isner played well against the 21-year-old Giron, a UCLA star who announced in July he was turning pro after his junior season. Isner never faced a single break point, hitting 41 winners to just 24 unforced errors.
But Isner is the only U.S. man currently ranked in the top 40 in the world. American men are just 2-5 so far in Flushing.
“You know, it’s not the greatest it’s been, but really, I don’t know. … I don’t know what’s missing,” said Isner, who dismissed the notion he carries the flag for U.S. tennis. “I don’t focus on that. I just focus on myself. It’s not my concern.
“Maybe people judge it that way. I don’t look at it that way. I try not to focus on some of the negative things that people say about American tennis. … I get the brunt of it a lot, because if I win and play well it’s because I have a big serve and I can hit my forehand pretty well and that’s it. But if I lose, it’s only because that’s all I can do. So sometimes I feel like I can’t win no matter what.’’