Towers of Power

[PS - Here is another of Jane Voigt's dispatches from steamy Washington, D.C. All this talk about collegiate players in the U.S. reminds me, TW's friend Colette Lewis will be covering Kalamazoo (the US junior nationals) at her terrific Zootennis blog. Make sure you check it out! - Pete]

This week at The Legg Mason Tennis Classic the buzz has been about John Isner, the 6-10 graduate from The University of Georgia, this year's NCAA team champion (Isner also won the doubles title). A wild card here at the Legg Mason tournament, Isner was unknown on the eve of his first US Open Series event.  Who knew that this lanky kid with rocket-powered serves could win a match in his very first US Open Series event?  Nobody. Except John Isner, maybe.

On Tuesday he rattled the draw and sent Tim Henman packing in a three-set thriller on Center Court. On Wednesday, Benjamin Becker, the 2004 NCAA singles champion, took his best shot at John. But, in the third-set tiebreaker, Isner got the best of Becker, winning 8-6. Yesterday, Isner played the American lefty Wayne Odesnik, who was top-seeded in the qualifying event and is ranked No. 189 in the ATP race. John, by contrast, is ranked 416 on the ATP charts.

But those numbers meant little yesterday afternoon. Wayne and John played nose-to-nose for close to three hours, engaging in intense base-line rallies, efficient serve and volley duels, and some very sweet drop shots.

Once again, the match went three sets - all tiebreakers. The mini-break came early in the third-set 'breaker, when Odesnik dumped a forehand in the net. Isner then unleashed an ace, making it 3-1. Next, John approached the net and Odesnik’s passing shot sailed long. Isner had him 4-1.

Odesnik managed to get another point before the first changeover to creep to 2-4, but that was it. Isner won then next point,and punctuated it with a massive first serve that took the score to 6-2. Odesnik’s match-ending unforced error gave John a reason to smile one last time, and a moment later he flung his hands in the air and the crowd showered him with a rousing ovation. They were also acknowledging Odesnik for his competitive mettle. He had served brilliantly and played tough tennis, showing off his left-handed talent. Now John Isner will face Tommy Haas in the quarterfinals.

After the match, a few hundred fans lined up to get an autograph from Mr. Isner. Some just wanted to pat him on the back and wish him good luck tomorrow.

I stuck out my hat and red Sharpie Marker, and asked, “Will you please sign my hat, John? You can put your name right next to Tim Henman’s.”

John laughed, and said,“ Awesome.”

While I’d hoped that Thomas Johansson would progress farther in the draw this week, he wasn't consistent enough to handle Paul Capdeville today. In the first set, Thomas was down two breaks but came back to even the set and force a tiebreak, only to lose it. In the second set, he couldn’t recover from a comparable deficit, at 2-5, and lost the next game.

Magnus Norman, the Swedish player who once blasted his way into the Top 5 and played one of the all-time French Open matches against three-time Roland Garros champ Gustavo Kuerten, sat next to me during the Johansson-Capdeville match. Magnus travels with Thomas some of the year, but said that he himself hasn’t played in over three years. He's had two hip surgeries, and knee operations as well. They effectively ended his ATP career. He reported that Thomas’s recovery from the detached retina injury is coming along. Johansson wears contact lenses now (as a result of the injury), but has trouble seeing sometimes when the light is waning, the way it does in the early evening.

Ivo Karlovic (that's Ivo, with Arnaud Clement, in the photo) defeated Vince Spadea yesterday in straight sets as well. I’d never seen Karlovic serve, but it's a thunderous event when ball meets his strings. In Karlovic's hands, a racquet is a weapon of mass destruction. I mystified by the power. Karlovic doesn't even need to leap when he serves; being 6-10, he already has enough angle on the ball to drive it downward with massive force.

Ivo and John Isner should pair up for doubles. Can you imagine? With a couple quick steps both men would be at the net -  and God bless the guys who could get a shot past them.

---  Jane Voigt