USA with backs against the wall

Big-serving American and world n.20 John Isner was first to play on the indoor court up against Serb Viktor Troicki ranked 35, but the story did not go the way the rankings might suggest with Troicki upsetting Isner in four lengthy sets 7-6(4), 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-4.

Despite the American’s big-hitting game being better suited to the clay surface, it was to be no fairytale beginning for the Davis Cup debutant as Troicki simply grabbed his chances at every opportunity.

“I played him on hard court last year and beat him but I think this was tougher because on the clay his ball was bouncing quite high,” the Serb told daviscup.com.

“In the third and fourth sets I was playing much better than him and I used my chances. There were still some tough games on my serve, but luckily I pretty much won all of them and I was able to give my country the first point,” he said.

With Novak Djokovic looming as the favourite in the following rubber against Sam Querrey, it was crucial to the USA’s chances of advancing that Isner won his match but he ended up regretting missed opportunities.

“I had a lot of chances but I just didn’t convert. I felt like I was in a lot of the return games but I just couldn’t convert but that’s a credit to him because he played well,” Isner told daviscup.com.

“I fought hard. I knew I was going to do that. I guess I’m proud, but I knew I was going to fight as hard as I could. It just sucks that I didn’t get the result I wanted,” he said.

The Djokovic-Querrey match ended in a similar style with the Serb affectionately known as ‘Nole’ needing four sets and comparable game time of just under three and a half hours to deliver Serbia a commanding 2-0 lead 6-2 7-6(4) 2-6 6-3.

The Bryan brothers will need to win their doubles match tomorrow against Nenad Zimonjic and Janko Tipsarevic in order to stay in the tie so that the two Americans can try to avenge their first-day losses in live rubbers on the final day of play.

Ben Carenco