No U.S. men left at Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Australia -- For the first time in four decades, there will be no American man in the fourth round of the Australian Open. John McEnroe thinks he knows why.

The seven-time major singles champion, who is working as a TV analyst at Melbourne Park, suspects a lack of passion.

"You could certainly wonder whether our guys are as hungry as some of the others," McEnroe said on Fox after John Isner lost to 18th-seeded Feliciano Lopez in the third round Friday. "It really comes down to the individual. If people have heart or desire, that to me is more important than any shot."

This is the first time no U.S. player reached the men's fourth round at the Australian Open since 1973, when no Americans traveled to the tournament.

Isner, the last American man left in the singles draw, lost to Lopez, 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-7 (0), 6-1. It was the 6-9 Isner's second straight five-set match; he knocked out David Nalbandian in a 4-hour, 41-minute thriller.

"It's very ugly, to be honest, to have no one in the round of 16," Isner said. "We've got to try to rectify that next time the big tournaments roll around.

"It's very disappointing. That's not a good effort from the Americans in this tournament. I knew going in today, I was the last one left and I wanted to keep on going, but just didn't happen."

It hasn't been happening for U.S. women, either. Only 13-time major champion Serena Williams remains after American Vania King was beaten by Ana Ivanovic early Saturday, 6-3, 6-4, in a third-round match. Second-seeded Petra Kvitova advanced when Maria Kirilenko, who was trailing 6-0, 1-0, retired with a left thigh injury. and fourth-seeded Maria Sharapova cruised past Angelique Kerber, 6-1, 6-2.

In men's play Saturday, defending champion Novak Djokovic was nearly flawless in a 6-0, 6-1, 6-1 win against Nicolas Mahut in a third-round match. When Mahut won his first game in the second set, he stretched his arms out, playing up to the crowd that he'd finally won a game. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the sixth seed, topped Frederico Gil, 6-2, 6-2, 6-2.