Verdasco gives Isner some schooling
Photo credit: Getty/STAN HONDA | John Isner of the US reacts to losing a point against Fernando Verdasco of Spain during their 4th round U.S. Open match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 7, 2009 in New York. Verdasco won, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
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For the men, at least, the American tennis holiday is over. Not only did Spain's 10th-ranked Fernando Verdasco lay a back-to-school lesson on long, tall Georgian John Isner yesterday, but Isner's 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 exit meant that for the first time in the 128-year history of the U.S. championships, no Yank male advanced to the quarterfinals.
Two days after Isner took down top-ranked American Andy Roddick with a show of power and aggression, Verdasco cut the 6-9 Isner down to size with a ripping forehand and blunting service return.
Verdasco's play thoroughly disarmed Isner, who went from 38 aces against Roddick to 13 yesterday, from 67 net charges to 27. Isner, who had played above his No. 55 ranking through his first three Open matches, was unable to exert pressure on the 25-year-old lefthander, who is enjoying his best pro year after reaching his first major singles semifinal at the Australian Open.
"I'm a little bit disappointed," Isner, 24, said. "I wanted to go further. But I played pretty well. Maybe I could have played a little bit better, but I just got outplayed. For the most part, he just had me on the run. I didn't really stand a chance."
Recently recovered from mononucleosis, Isner actually was making his second brief splash at the Open. Two years ago, only two months after his final college match for the University of Georgia, he found himself at Arthur Ashe Stadium against No. 1 Roger Federer - and won the first set before losing in four.
This time, other American men arrived at Flushing Meadows under more scrutiny: The fifth-seeded Roddick; the tall (6-6) and rising Sam Querrey (Isner's doubles partner), whose strong hard-court season lifted him above James Blake as the second-ranked U.S. player; plus Taylor Dent, returning from back surgery to play the Open, who made a fairly shocking run to the third round.
Isner left feeling "it was a good tournament; I can build on this for the rest of the year."
In the meantime, though, the focus has shifted entirely to players who hail from other shores - with the usual attention to five-time Open champ Federer, who sailed through his fourth-round match against 14th-seeded Tommy Robredo, 7-5, 6-2, 6-2.
Federer was as sharp as he has been in the tournament, with a first-serve winning percentage of .872, nine aces, no double faults, only 18 errors. He saved the only four break points he allowed Robredo.
"When we got to 5-all ," Robredo said, "he just broke me and then he start playing very aggressive and very easy . . . playing so good."
Federer attributed the tightening of his game to the increasingly higher skill of his opponents as the tournament goes on and his willingness to let his instincts take over.
"I guess if things go well," he said, "you don't ask yourself that many questions. I don't care about what my opponent's best serve is, for instance, or what his best shot is. I'll just improvise. I concentrate on what I do best, then I'll decide what comes from my opponent. I'll adjust.''
He next will take his wizardry against Sweden's Robin Soderling, who kidded that before playing Federer in the French Open final, he told his coach, "Nobody beats me 10 straight times."
Federer proceeded to beat Soderling then, as well as an 11th straight time in the fourth round at Wimbledon. Another lesson administered.
