John Isner is through to the second round of the Western and Southern Open in Mason, Ohio after beating the world number 31 Cameron Norrie 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 in two hours hitting 43 winners and serving 26 aces in the win.
“I do think the rain delay helped me a little bit and it’s a match that I have played a bunch before with the scenario where I eak out a second set and maybe play one game in the third set and hold on with my serve from there. That’s the type of match you see yourself winning when your confidence and things go your way and that’s what I have going my way.” Isner said afterward.
Both players did a good job in the beginning of the match holding serve and it was the Brit with the first chance to break at 3-3. He broke and that was the only break he needed to serve out the first set in 31 minutes.
The second set was a bit of a different story with the first four games of the set going on serve and then once again the rain came back. Suspending play for four hours before they were able to resume.
Again serve dictated the second set and it would be decided by a tiebreaker. It was the American who got the first break with his powerful forehand and again one break was all that was needed for the world number 26 to serve out the second set and force a deciding third set.
Isner carried the momentum into the third set and had two chances to break and broke at the first time of asking to take an early 1-0 lead. That break of serve was enough for him to serve out the match and get the win.
After the match in his post-match press conference, Isner spoke about how he dealt with the long rain delay.
“It’s not easy because Tennis is just brutal and we deal with this stuff and you try to find a comfortable place to sit down and eat and you just have to keep yourself ready, eat the right amount of food and it’s not easy to do and all of us deal with it just the same”.
Isner will face Jannik Sinner in his next match and this will be their first-ever meeting on the ATP tour.
