There is nothing better than home cooking, especially if you’re big John Isner. Isner was able to defend his ATP Winston-Salem title as he knocked off Tomas Berdych, 7-6 in the third. Playing in his home state of NC, Isner was able to ride the home court advantage to two impressive wins the last two days, knocking off Tsonga and Berdych both 7-6 in the third.
Beating two top 10 players in a matter of 24 hours, has to give “Big John” a lot of confidence heading to NYC and put some fear into the top 3 guys as a legitimate threat. After a disappointing spring, Isner has rebounded on what is his favorite surface, hard courts and looks to be in good form. Even better news for Isner, came on Thursday when the draw gave “Big John” a “Big Opportunity” as he is in the section where Nadal should be, giving him the best chance for a break through slam.
The Grand Slams have been a little bit of a disappointment so far in his career, as he has had some memorable wins over Roddick and of course Mahut, but also a lot of early exits. After this win, there will be even bigger expectations and more pressure. Couple that with playing a lot of matches this week, could take its toll on him as he advances and hurt his chances.
We know the crowd will be on his side, and looking for some “Big Wins.”