(Photo courtesy of Wikipedia)
John Isner hitting a forehand at the
2009 US Open
In what must be described as a US Open first, hundreds of tennis fans erupted and rose in their seats shouting out "Let's go Mon-fils, Let's go MonFils" in an effort to ignite his game.
And for a while Montfils, down two sets (7-5, 6-2) and even at 4 all in the third rose to the occasion.
His game revved up and he took the third set 6-4.
The momentum continued into the fourth set and he appeared to be getting the upper hand.
Isner was beginning to show some pain in his groin area and undoubtedly was baffled by the 'partisan crowd' (for his opponent).
However, the six foot ten inch tennis marvel (ranked 17th in the world), bore down on his serve, hitting consistent aces timed at over 135 MPH--often coming to net and finishing the point with brilliantly hit volleys that eluded the lanky, quick moving six-four French wonder.
Indeed, Montfils is a fabulous retriever and a pleasure to behold, fleet as a jaguar in motion.
Yet, John hung tight and bested the Frenchman in a fourth set tie breaker at 7-6 (4).
In a post match interview, Monfils commented that following the French Open where he gets strong fan support: "Here [the US Open], it's the most after Paris. I always say here is my second home."
The match ended just short of 12 AM and was exciting to watch.
Good luck John-- who next plays the 22nd ranked Phillip Kohlschreiber in the third round.
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