TENNIS ATP CINCINNATI – 14th of August 2014. A. Murray d. J. Isner 6-7, 6-4, 7-6. An interview with John Isner
Q. That was obviously a tough match, John. What are your thoughts?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, it was a tough match, one I could have won, but one I easily could have lost. That’s what happened.
You know, I had two match points and didn’t capitalize, but I thought I played those points the right way.
So there’s really no regrets. I thought I played pretty well and I thought he played well. There are certainly some things I could have done better, as in any match you play.
But, you know, he was better at the end. He kept his cool the whole match.
You know, it’s a tough one, but it happens, and I gotta move on.
Q. In terms of quality and your form, how does that rate, that match rate, for the hard court season? One of the best? “The” best?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, yeah, this year for sure. I knew I was gonna have I knew it was going to be a good match. I mean, I didn’t imagine myself blowing him off the court, and vice versa, I didn’t imagine him blowing me off the court.
He was just a little better and he played pretty well and did a lot of things. Kept me off balance and served pretty well, I thought, with the exception of that last game at 6 5, but he was still able to win that one.
I didn’t convert in the end. You know, I could very easily be sitting here the winner. That’s how this sport is. There are really close margins, especially with matches that I play. I’m not gonna win every one, that’s for sure.
Q. You mentioned things you could have done better. Anything that stands out that you’ll take from this match moving forward?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah. I mean, there were some times when, you know, we have match points or big points and you don’t play them the right way. It kind of hurts more if you end up losing the match.
But especially on that first match point, I thought I played it the right way. I had a volley, and I just missed it. You know, that’s just such a, I don’t know, it’s a volley I feel like I make more times than not.
But, you know, he was scrambling and getting so many balls back. He did that, especially at the very end of that match.
But, no, happy with how I competed. But, you know, I can always get better. If I want to get better as a player, you know, I have to maybe find a way to win that match.
But he was too good.
Q. Would it be fair to call it a confident boosting loss just because of your form? Returned well; serve was clicking; volleys were good.
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, I guess you could say that. Maybe not right now. It was disappointing to lose. I’m not happy about it.
But I have no regrets. You know, I feel like I did, you know, for the most part I did everything I wanted to do out there. Maybe I could have played better, yeah. But, no, I fought hard and I competed well.
Maybe tomorrow I’ll look back on it, you know, to give me some confidence. I’m playing well and I’m feeling good. It’s disappointing to lose.
I love this tournament and I wanted to sort of emulate what I had going last year. I was close to doing it and keep on going, but it just wasn’t to be. Wasn’t meant to be.
Q. Do you prefer playing on courts that have kind of a smaller run back? Does that kind of give you a little bit more confidence and freedom on your serve?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, you know, that’s an unbelievable court for me, that court here on Grandstand. I can’t ask for a better court to play on as far as my game goes. It’s kind of closed in, plays fast and gets up high, and I guess guys I play against can’t retrieve they can’t go they run out of room back there. Even Andy hit a camera I think at one point (smiling).
No, that court is great. I was happy to be on it today. The atmosphere was awesome and I wanted to win that one. I think I probably could have been on center after that, but, you know, he’s moving on. But I’ll learn from it.
