John Isner, ace machine watch Australian Open 2013

Onehandedbackhand

Professional
Isner might not make the third round. His knee is giving him all kinds of trouble.

Limping around and losing to Harrison right now is not a good thing.
 

tacou

G.O.A.T.
John said he's probably not going to play AO and if he does he will win 1-2 matches at most.

Sad...his Hopman Cup match was ugly but he showed some nice touch and ground strokes against Harrison, you should just tell his movement wasn't there...and when John's "movement" is hampered he really has no chance.
 

batz

G.O.A.T.

ark_28

Legend
Let's hope he makes a speedy recovery! If he can play the Aussie open still then that will be fantastic news for the tournament if not though the rest and time off will keep him fresh his serve is likely to be an even tougher prospect come Indian Wells and Miami!
 

ark_28

Legend
PHO-09Sep30-179989.jpg
 
N

nikdom

Guest
Isner seemed to pick up a slight niggle at the Hopman Cup but thankfully he seems to be on course for the Australian Open!

This is a player that at 6ft 9 has a sporting idol who was in the NBA and not tennis but has ferocious power off the serve and forehand!

The proof is in the pudding that on his day he is the most devastating player in the world! Last year he took the racket out of Federer's hand to beat him in Switzerland in the Davis Cup before beating Djokovic in Indian Wells!

Isner also has the record for the most aces in a match (113). The ferocious power plus enormous serve from such a height mean that if John gets it all together he is going to be unstoppable come the Australian Open which gets underway on January 14th in Melbourne.

I'd like some of this pudding you speak of. :)
 

ark_28

Legend
Massive blow this for the tournament and fans around the world but there will be a collective sigh of relief for all the other contenders of that I have no doubt!

Can the mods take "Australian Open" our of my title because this thread needs to live on it will be a watch for the big man in 2013 with his serve and explosive forehand once fully fit he is going to give many guys on the tour nightmares!
 

ark_28

Legend
John on twitter

@JohnIsner: Really wish I was still in Australia now but wasn't to be. I'll be 100% in no time! Could always be worse that's for sure. #bumpintheroad
 

ark_28

Legend
seeing how the courts are playing faster this year it appears there is no doubt that this tounrmanent is missing the American number 1 John Isner, the bounce he generates and the potential he has to fire in a serve at 148 mph would have made him a real handful over these two weeks!
 

Doubles

Legend
seeing how the courts are playing faster this year it appears there is no doubt that this tounrmanent is missing the American number 1 John Isner, the bounce he generates and the potential he has to fire in a serve at 148 mph would have made him a real handful over these two weeks!

Except he wouldn't have made it to week two anyway.
 

ark_28

Legend
Except he wouldn't have made it to week two anyway.

That is a very weird think to say about a guy who has the ability to terroirse opponents with a brutal serve and has the 2nd best conversion stats of all times on some of the slowest courts ever, on a faster pacier court like we have here in Melbourne he would be very hard to beat indeed.
 

Doubles

Legend
That is a very weird think to say about a guy who has the ability to terroirse opponents with a brutal serve and has the 2nd best conversion stats of all times on some of the slowest courts ever, on a faster pacier court like we have here in Melbourne he would be very hard to beat indeed.

He has no movement, a backhand that barely finds its way into the court, no volleying skill, and a forehand that's completely hit-or-miss. If he gets hot, then he can go far in a tournament, but riding on a serve alone gets you nowhere. Karlovic is as good of a server as Isner, so why didn't he win his match today?
 

tlm

G.O.A.T.
Isner seemed to pick up a slight niggle at the Hopman Cup but thankfully he seems to be on course for the Australian Open!

This is a player that at 6ft 9 has a sporting idol who was in the NBA and not tennis but has ferocious power off the serve and forehand!

The proof is in the pudding that on his day he is the most devastating player in the world! Last year he took the racket out of Federer's hand to beat him in Switzerland in the Davis Cup before beating Djokovic in Indian Wells!

Isner also has the record for the most aces in a match (113). The ferocious power plus enormous serve from such a height mean that if John gets it all together he is going to be unstoppable come the Australian Open which gets underway on January 14th in Melbourne.

Thank the Lord he is not at AO, he has to be the most boring player to watch play.
 

ark_28

Legend
He has no movement, a backhand that barely finds its way into the court, no volleying skill, and a forehand that's completely hit-or-miss. If he gets hot, then he can go far in a tournament, but riding on a serve alone gets you nowhere. Karlovic is as good of a server as Isner, so why didn't he win his match today?

I hope you are not comparing Karlovic to Isner! He has a big serve too sure but he does not use it as well as John hence why has has not come clsoe to achieveing as much in the game as John has, beating Federer and Novak, taking Nadal to 5 sets at the French Open and reaching a masters series final.
 

Doubles

Legend
I hope you are not comparing Karlovic to Isner! He has a big serve too sure but he does not use it as well as John hence why has has not come clsoe to achieveing as much in the game as John has, beating Federer and Novak, taking Nadal to 5 sets at the French Open and reaching a masters series final.

I am, because Karlovic is as good, if not a better server than Isner. John has a few good wins but so does Ivo. You talk up Isner's game as if he's a world beater who'll go down as a GOAT yet he has failed to make it past the quarters of a slam. At 27 he's certainly not getting any younger. His window of opportunity is closing, though it's not like it was ever really there.
 

Relinquis

Hall of Fame
in the game of tennis, one has to break serve to win, generally speaking. Isner, with his dink backhand and tortoise movement is not positioned well to do this.
 

Fedex

Legend
If it's any consolation Ark, I like John Isner too and disappointed he's out.
He gets a lot of unfair stick.
Who took his place?
 

Relinquis

Hall of Fame
still, it would have been nice to see him play at the AO this year. So we could watch in action how the pros are able to handle a big-server.
 

ark_28

Legend
I am, because Karlovic is as good, if not a better server than Isner. John has a few good wins but so does Ivo. You talk up Isner's game as if he's a world beater who'll go down as a GOAT yet he has failed to make it past the quarters of a slam. At 27 he's certainly not getting any younger. His window of opportunity is closing, though it's not like it was ever really there.

I disagree with this, no arguement Ivo has a great serve, and sure he has had one or two good wins, but tell me a great run he has had at a masters or his highest ranking?

Isner is a more complete player who uses the serve forehand combo better than Ivo by far!
 

Doubles

Legend
I disagree with this, no arguement Ivo has a great serve, and sure he has had one or two good wins, but tell me a great run he has had at a masters or his highest ranking?

Isner is a more complete player who uses the serve forehand combo better than Ivo by far!

Isner has been ranked a career high five spots higher, and won one more title than Karlovic. Making a masters final is great, but if you didn't win, then why does it matte? Sure, he got points, but he didn't get the hardware.
Hell, I would take Querrey over Isner any day as even he has a more complete game.
 

ark_28

Legend
Isner's ground shots are superior to Ivos it would have been a pretty convincing win for John you would imagine.
 

Doubles

Legend
Isner's ground shots are superior to Ivos it would have been a pretty convincing win for John you would imagine.

If John won it would be a boring 5 setter that was ace after ace because they're arguably the worst returners in the top 100.
 
Isner's been figured out. He basically has to hit 4 unreturnables in a service game to even feel safe about it now his opponents protect (not that it is that hard given how poorly Isner returns) their serves well and capitalize on their return chances.

I thought he would take the momentum from Indian Wells and Dabis Cup last year and actually do something, but he's become yet another sevebot.

And the courts faster, pacier this year? You must have been watching ice hockey or something. Courts are the same, and it isn't like a faster, bouncier court (like the USO, where he was beaten by Kohlschreiber) benefits him that much.
 

ark_28

Legend
If John won it would be a boring 5 setter that was ace after ace because they're arguably the worst returners in the top 100.

Isner has way more ability off the ground and ROS than ivo! He's a confidence player check out his returning v Fed last year 4th set Davis Cup that was almost unplayable
 

Doubles

Legend
Isner has way more ability off the ground and ROS than ivo! He's a confidence player check out his returning v Fed last year 4th set Davis Cup that was almost unplayable

His ROS is terrible. He's played at a high level, what, two, maybe three matches during his career. If he's so good than why did he lose first round of Wimbledon last year? That's a tourney that he should go far in, right?
 

Relinquis

Hall of Fame
how healthy/fit is he? he's not old enough to be missing slams, this is the time in his career that he should be making his mark.
 

ark_28

Legend
His ROS is terrible. He's played at a high level, what, two, maybe three matches during his career. If he's so good than why did he lose first round of Wimbledon last year? That's a tourney that he should go far in, right?

He lost to Falla a bad loss but then Falla has taken Federer to 5 at Wimbledon in round 1 before so it's not like he can't play on grass!
 

ark_28

Legend
how healthy/fit is he? he's not old enough to be missing slams, this is the time in his career that he should be making his mark.

Nadal is a year younger than Isner and he has now missed two slams in a row and yet he is one of the greatest players of all time! If you are injured you are injured!
 

Doubles

Legend
You just compared Nadal being hurt to Isner being hurt? lol Isner has not, nor will be ever accomplish anything close to what Nadal has.
 

ark_28

Legend
You just compared Nadal being hurt to Isner being hurt? lol Isner has not, nor will be ever accomplish anything close to what Nadal has.

I did because the poster said Isner is too young to miss Slams! The fact that Nadal is younger and missing slams shows that age isn't a factor when it comes to injuries! Nadals accomplishments are not really a factor in this argument!
 
I did because the poster said Isner is too young to miss Slams! The fact that Nadal is younger and missing slams shows that age isn't a factor when it comes to injuries! Nadals accomplishments are not really a factor in this argument!

:confused: Nadal has had a FAR longer career than Isner already. In fact I would say that given Isner is already 27 and has not done anything of note at the Slams, his window is narrowing.
 

Fedex

Legend
:confused: Nadal has had a FAR longer career than Isner already. In fact I would say that given Isner is already 27 and has not done anything of note at the Slams, his window is narrowing.

Isner took up tennis late and is therefore a late developer.
You have to give a lot of credit to someone having that disadvantage going into a very difficult and competitive sport.
He's still reached a very high level.
 
D

Deleted member 307496

Guest
Isner will never be a factor in slams past the quarterfinal round.
 

Doubles

Legend
That's assuming he can even make it that far. Once someone locks on to Isner's serve it's pretty much over.
 
Isner took up tennis late and is therefore a late developer.
You have to give a lot of credit to someone having that disadvantage going into a very difficult and competitive sport.
He's still reached a very high level.

at what age did he start with tennis?
 

Chanwan

G.O.A.T.
You just compared Nadal being hurt to Isner being hurt? lol Isner has not, nor will be ever accomplish anything close to what Nadal has.

Yet, they are both human, they are both tennis players and they can actually both get injured, which is what is relevant in this comparison...
 

Fedex

Legend
at what age did he start with tennis?

He started playing seriously at age 11 but he's now 27 and only turned pro in 2007 which is late.
I believe there was a period of a few years sometime after age 11 that he didn't pursue tennis seriously concentrating on, I think, basketball, and then took up tennis again which is why he is a late developer.
Can someone else confirm? I can't find the details.
Anyway the point I'm making is that unlike most professional tennis players, tennis wasn't his 100% obsession all the time from a young age.
I think he's doing very well considering.
 

ark_28

Legend
Run out of BS to come up with as to why Isner's great?

The tournament is missing John that is for sure! Anytime you can hit serves at 148 with bounce and smack groudies so hard you are dangerous if he found his form from IW last year or Davis Cup in Switzerland or Monte Carlo he would have been close to unbeatable.
 
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