WHAT HAPPENED: No US Open is complete without a marathon match from John Isner. And on Wednesday, Isner delivered, extending his day match well into the night, when he dismissed world No. 47 Nicolas Jarry, 6-7, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6, 6-4, in three hours and 38 minutes.
The pair’s first meeting was a polite trading of breaks. Each player, both towering at six-foot-ten and six-foot-six, respectively, not only had similar heights, but mirroring games as well.
Isner, currently No. 4 on the 2018 US Open speed leads with a whipping 139 mph serve, would serve up a big game, and Jarry would immediately follow suit, making for a match that was point for point, even in the tiebreaks, which they went to in the first and fourth set.
While the game on the court was void of any boisterous outbursts or displays, the fans packed in the Grand Stand made up for the lack of theatrics from either player.
Even though Isner was on his home turf, a Chilean contingent came out to support Jarry, currently at a career-high of world No. 42. Throughout the match, Isner won 77 percent on first serve in, with Jarry not far behind, winning on 73 percent on first serve.
Finally, in the fifth, Isner managed to break ahead at 4-4, using the momentum to win the final two games. In total, the Dallas native converted two break points and placed a total of 72 winners on the road to his win.
WHAT IT MEANS: Drink your caffeine, kids. With Isner still in the draw, there’s a great chance the former Georgia Bulldog could play one of his epic battles under the bright lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium.
In 2012, Isner and Germany’s Phillip Kohlschreiber kept fans on their feet in a five-set brawl on Ashe that didn't conclude until 2:26 a.m.
“I’m glad the fifth set [against Jarry] was a little bit shorter than some of my other five set matches,” Isner admitted in his on-court interview after his win.
Should Isner be able to oust world No. 62 Dusan Lajovic in Round 3, he will face either 2016 US Open champion Stan Wawrinka or No. 25 seed Milos Raonic of Canada. Both are worthy opponents, and worthy of the grandest show court in the sport.
MATCH POINT: After scoring 38 aces in Wednesday’s tussle, Isner has officially passed five-time US Open champion Roger Federer for the second spot in career aces. He has now struck 10,655 aces, edging past the Swiss by ten, and trails only Ivo Karlovic, who sits in the top spot with 12,936 career aces.
