TENNIS WIMBLEDON 2014 – 24th of June. J. Isner d. D. Smethurst 7-5, 6-3, 6-4. An interview with John Isner
Q. Three sets, no breakers. That’s got to feel good.
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, absolutely. You know, I’m not known for super comprehensive victories, so for me on this surface, to start the tournament out like that, it’s a big positive.
Q. He was a wildcard. How did you feel about your own level in general? Could you feel it out there?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, I thought I was pretty b#b# I guess I would say I’m definitely happy with the result. I think I can play a little bit better.
I played well when I needed to. Also made a fair share of errors. I had to save a good amount of break points as well. Could have been a little cleaner, I think.
Definitely not complaining. I think I’ll be better next round.
Q. John, what’s your perspective on the domination of the big four, and how tough it is to get past those guys to win a major?
JOHN ISNER: I mean, you guys would know more than me. Historically I don’t think the sport has ever seen anything like this. Their domination within the last – I saw some stat like 30 some majors. They’re always there.
In order to win a huge event such as a Grand Slam, you have to beat those guys. Wawrinka did that. At the very minimum two of those guys. And Stan did that in Australia.
It’s a tough task, because those guys are so good. They seem to always be there at the latter stages of every tournament. Pretty impressive what they’re doing.
Q. Nine years, only Del Potro and Wawrinka have broken through. What do you think you’ve learned from watching those four guys play? How does it affect your psyche going into a major?
JOHN ISNER: I mean, I don’t think I’ve learned anything about my game. I see these guys. I’m around them a lot and see how professional they are.
You try to emulate that a little bit. I feel like I’m very professional, but all those guys do everything the absolute perfect way. Off the match court I’m talking about.
So they’re very well-prepared. They have everything down to a T, because they know what to do and they’ve been doing it for so long.
So, you know, for me, just keep doing what I’m doing. I feel like I’m doing everything the right way, and off to a good start here.
Q. Not to beat a dead horse, but I’m going to flog it a little bit. Four of the top seven Americans have some college experience. Can you talk about that for a minute? Do you think that’s a more viable path to the pros now?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, I think so, especially because given the landscape of men’s professional tennis, how there are very few teenagers lighting it up.
You see guys coming into their own at 25, 26. Wasn’t like that 10, 15, 20 years ago. College was perfect for me, and seems like it’s working for a lot of other players as well.
Mainly because you have to be very mature at this level in order win matches and get consistent on tour. I think a lot of the college guys are showing that.
Q. You’re an exception as someone that’s been to college and in the top 10. Do you think it’s still the path for really top prospects, a straight jump to the pros or…
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, I mean, I am not b#b# I kind of went against the grain there going to college for four years and making the top 10. You probably won’t see that that often.
I think especially for American players coming up, I think college is a good choice. Maybe the very minimum for one or two years. For other guys around the world, could be very different. Maybe they’re already more mature at 18 and can hang with these guys at an earlier age.
I think for Americans especially going to college is a good way.
Q. I would like to go back to what Willie was talking about. You’ve seen these top players up close and personal. What quality of those top four really impresses you the most? We see how Murray handles the British situation;Rafa fighting for every point; Roger, et cetera. What quality most impresses you?
JOHN ISNER: I would say their professionalism. The fact that b#b# because, I mean, I guess we’re just talking about the top four. You know, these guys, they get the most asked from them at every tournament.
So not only are they trying to win a tournament, they’re also the busiest guys at the tournament. That’s what they’re doing off the court, interviews here, there. They got a lot of people wanting to hear from them, especially Andy at this event.
So they’re very professional how they go about their things and manage their time. I think that’s pretty impressive.
Q. What does the World Cup mean to you, and what are your thoughts on the USA’s next game against Germany?
JOHN ISNER: It’s very exciting. I’m not going to say it means the same to me as it does to some of these Europeans in the locker room.
But at the same time, I think we’re seeing that b#b# I mean, we’re not in America right now, but you see the highlights and all the big crowds and big cities watching the U.S. play.
You click on the articles and see the ratings that they’re getting when they’re playing on TV. So it’s pretty neat. Only comes around every four years. It is the biggest sporting event in the world, so it’s a lot of fun to watch.
