Taking on sporting Goliaths and making them seem weak is currently fashionable in British sporting circles and committed boxing fan Andy Murray followed the example of heavyweight world champion David Haye by cutting down to size 6ft 9in John Isner in the early hours of today.
Just as Nikolay Valuev lacked the craft and guile to get the better of Haye, the counterpunching of Murray, seeded five and chosen by many as the man to win his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, was too accurate and too unyielding for his American opponent.
"I'm playing well, no question about that," Murray said. "I just need to play like I have been and maybe a bit more if I want to win the tournament. Today when I was down I hit a lot of winners, served smart, was just thinking the whole time."
Isner came into the event on the crest of a wave of elation after winning his first ATP World Tour title just a week earlier in Auckland and an impressive win in the previous round over the talented but erratic French 12th seed Gael Monfils underlined his potential but Murray was more than equipped to deal with the threat and is through to the quarter-finals after his 7-6 6-3 6-2 win on Melbourne Park’s Rod Laver Arena. He will now play second seed Rafael Nadal, the defending champion, after the Spaniard overcame Ivo Karlovic, who stands one inch taller than Isner, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Isner unleashes his serves from an enormous height. His feet leave the ground by almost 10in at the point of impact and with his huge frame at full stretch and the racket vertical from his tensed right arm, connection with the ball comes about 15ft above the court. Murray is revered as one of most accomplished returners of serve in the game with the best-balanced and most positive first step in his favour but still it was a question of getting an early read on the threat.
Simple trigonometry decrees that Isner can unleash the ball at angles players of a shorter stature would find impossible and there were occasions when the delivery flew more than 8ft wide of Murray’s outstretched racket. Five aces flew from the giant American in his initial four service games which might sound threatening but in terms of percentages they were numbers that suited the British cause. Murray was allowed an average reaction time of just 0.7sec as the ball repeatedly veered away from him at speeds above 140mph. Isner needed to make an initial impact but Murray seemed the more assured and dominant from the service line.
The Scot’s first five service games saw him lose just two points. Then his confidence and poise seemed to waver as two of the most straightforward forehands thudded into the net. Suddenly the red light of danger shone brightly. He faced the first set point against him in the championship but Isner’s inexperience saw him chance a hard-hit crosscourt forehand that ended wide.
The American’s lack of big-match experience showed again in the tie-break. With pressure mounting his first double fault of the match came at an inopportune moment and following up Murray struck with the crispest of backhand volleys. One set point went to waste but shot selection proved costly to Isner again just short of the hour mark. His touch with the racket lacked the subtlety and guile of his opponent and an attempt at a drop shot predictably fell into the net.
Every analyst who speculated on Murray’s game plans was insistent that the fifth seed’s patience would play the biggest part. The initial aim was to weather the Isner storm and not become dispirited if a succession of aces went flying by. A first-round encounter against 6ft 8in South African Kevin Anderson gave a taste of what was to come but Isner, entered among the list of seeds when Frenchman Gilles Simon was forced to withdraw with an injured thigh, was clearly of better quality.
Nevertheless, a lack of agility and speed off the mark, particularly from the back of the court, were the giant’s weakness and Murray quickly identified a tactic to drive into Isner’s self-belief. There was a time former coach Brad Gilbert implored his charge not to overplay the drop shot but every time Murray attempted one against Isner he produced a winner.
Mind games are an important part of any sport at the top level and Murray’s efforts at convincing Isner he still had much to learn were reaping dividends. Unlike in the first set, the Scot regularly threatened the big serve in the second and sensing the time was right to increase the pressure, he found an ally in the elements. With the blazing sun almost directly overhead, Isner suddenly found his vision troubled on the ball toss of his serve. He squinted, he frowned, he complained, sending the perfect signals of body language across the net that all was far from well. Murray is a contestant prepared to pounce on any discomfort and he knew the time was right to up the pressure.
Three break points rapidly ensued and Isner sent a sad forehand wide to put Murray in place to serve for a two-set lead. The spirit of the American may have been dented but all resistance was not dead and he in turn registered a trio of break points. Murray, however, was not to be dragged back and forced another Isner forehand error to take a two-set lead as the match edged towards the two-hour mark.
All the main protagonists in the opposing side of the draw remain in the competition with home Australian hopes centred again on Lleyton Hewitt and a large quota of optimism. Unlike two years previously, when he was forced to battle until 4.34am to overcome Marcos Baghdatis, victory required only 54 minutes as the Cypriot retired citing a painful shoulder at 6-0 4-2.
Hewitt’s good fortune might be brief as the 22nd seed now must face Roger Federer and look to end a 14-match losing run that stretches back to a Davis Cup encounter in late 2003.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Murray’s conqueror two years ago who progressed to become the suprise finalist, was also impressive, dispatching a succession of forceful serves and stinging baseline winners to beat German veteran Tommy Haas 6-4 3-6 6-1 7-5.
Perhaps the most finely balanced encounter sees Nikolay Davydenko confront the Spaniard Fernando Verdasco.
Source:The times
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