You can't imagine that one of the greatest players in tennis history has ever lacked confidence, but Roger Federer is bubbling with it again after bouncing back from some heartbreaking defeats in the past few months.
American John Isner has claimed the biggest victory of his career with a battling three-set win over world number one Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of the Indian Wells tournament.
Big-serving American John Isner stands between world No. 1 Novak Djokovic and his fourth final appearance in six years at the Indian Wells Masters 1000 event in California.
Roger Federer suffered a stunning upset defeat to John Isner as the United States took a 2-0 lead Friday in their Davis Cup World Group first round match in Switzerland.
Say this about actors, musicians, writers and other artists: They can age gracefully. Often they perform just fine deep into middle age. And when they can no longer hit the high notes or remember their lines, they can retreat slowly and privately.
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer remained on course for a semifinal showdown at the Australian Open with untroubled passage to the third round on Wednesday, but top American hope Mardy Fish became the first high-profile casualty of the men's draw.
Roger Federer will play home hope Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for the Paris Masters title after the pair secured contrasting semifinal victories Saturday.
1. Stepanek goes old school: There was plenty of networking in Washington, D.C., last week. At the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, 32-year-old Radek Stepanek -- who entered the week ranked No. 54 -- beat top-seeded Gael Monfils 6-4, 6-4 in the final on Sunday for his first title in 2½ years.
The U.S. Open opened Arthur Ashe Stadium to great fanfare in 1997, a state-of-the-art facility that seemed to represent everything great about big-time tennis in New York.
WIMBLEDON, England -- The rain is coming and going. Kate and William have yet to arrive. But the contenders remain, as does drama for week two. Herewith our Week One Wimbledon grades.
John Isner recaps moments of the Wimbledon match that became the longest match played in the history of tennis.
I hadn't seen much college tennis until the NCAA tournament came to my area (Stanford) last month, and it was a revelation. It struck me that a lot of talented young players have no idea what they're missing, and that current trends on the women's pro tour could affect significant change.
Shortly before the start of the men's final at Indian Wells, ABC's Chris Fowler dropped an annoying bit of information. A rumor, actually. There was a patch of blue tape on Novak Djokovic's left knee, and Fowler hinted at insiders' concern that he might be developing a case of tendinitis.
This has been quite a tournament for the ethics of motivation. While a number of men have departed the Australian Open with their dignity in tatters, Venus Williams defined herself as never before.
The beauty of tennis' new year, aside from the anticipation surrounding the Australian Open, is the chance to isolate certain truths out of nothing. The past week saw a flurry of insignificant events, but there was much to be learned about some of the sport's key players:
Why can't Fedofiles and Rafaelites stop fighting over who's the best? Sit back and enjoy the fact that, combined, they're the greatest phenomenon in tennis history (21 of the past 23 and 25 of the past 30 Grant Slams)! They could potentially end their careers as the equal GOATs -- and we as fans should love them both for it! Look at the video of the two promoting their Credit Suisse exhibition -- they're clearly great mates and so we should stop creating a "hated rivalry" when it doesn't even exist!! I'm all RF, always have been, but RN has my 100% respect. Let's just enjoy the history, don't you think? --Michael, Hamilton, New Zealand
How 'bout that Mirjana Lucic? Squeaks through the first round of qualifying, barely, winning the third-set tiebreak with no margin. Then wins Rounds 2 and 3 comfortably. And then she routines Alicia Molik. If you see her in a press conference, Jon, tell her she has supporters out there that are happy to see her in the mix again. --Dale Stafford, Atlanta
I'm wondering if anyone else feels that Nicolas Mahut, considering the historic nature and the quality of the match he played against John Isner at Wimbledon, deserved the courtesy of a U.S. Open wild card? (he lost in the last round of the qualies). Whether it is the USTA, the ATP, or any other governing body, something should have been done to acknowledge the appreciation many have developed for this courageous and talented player. John Isner, of course, is admitted directly into the main draw (if he does actually decide to play with torn ankle ligaments). I've written a blog post on this subject on my website, which you may feel free to promote, thank you very much! --Steven Zynszajn, New York
As last week's Legg Mason tournament in Washington D.C. staggered to a connoisseurs-only conclusion, we heard a familiar lament: Where are the Americans, with all that hard-court talent? To me, this was the more pressing question: If Andy Roddick is about to vacate his post as the No. 1 U.S. player, where will we find the panache?
World Number 8 Tomas Berdych is profiled by Pat Cash and is asked where has he improved his Tennis?
With the U.S. Open only a few weeks away, Mardy Fish might be the best tennis player in America -- a pretty sweet notion if you've been among his loyal fans all these years.
We were considering expanding our random ruminations to 68-70 items. But fatigue has set in, so herewith, 50 thoughts on a strange Wimbledon ...
A few years ago at Wimbledon, during the peak of his reign, Roger Federer admitted that he liked to read the newspapers. He'd get up nice and early in London and buy a stack, just to see what was being written about him.
Tennis player John Isner talks to CNN's Richard Lui about his record breaking Wimbledon match against Nicolas Mahut.
WIMBLEDON, England -- Three thoughts from the women's quarterfinals at the All England Club on Tuesday:
WIMBLEDON, England -- Three thoughts from the opening day of Week 2 at Wimbledon:
John Isner and Nicolas Mahut stories from the SI Vault
We've had a match that ended 70-68 in the fifth set, a near upset of Roger Federer, a visit by the Queen, and a spitting incident. Otherwise it was a slow first week at the All England Club. Herewith, our midterm marks, graded on the USC Athletic Department curve.
John Isner's former tennis coach talks about Isner's training and his place in tennis history.
Three quick thoughts from the first sane day of Wimbledon 2010:
The Tampa native finally prevails in his over 11-hour first-round Wimbledon match
WIMBLEDON, England -- Five thoughts after an unbelievable marathon match between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut:
Legendary tennis coach Nick Bollettieri talks about the epic Wimbledon match between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut.
WIMBLEDON, England-- SI.com caught up with Sports Illustrated senior writer Jon Wertheim after the conclusion of John Isner's 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (3), 70-68 win over Nicolas Mahut. The first-round battle took 11 hours, 5 minutes over three days -- the longest match in tennis history.
The Wimbledon match between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut is so improbable, so thoroughly preposterous, one searches for comparisons. Suffice it to say that the fifth set of last year's classic Wimbledon final -- Roger Federer over Andy Roddick, 16-14 -- looks rather paltry just now.
As the championship continues far from home, with the United States trying to impress the world ...
SI.com caught up with Sports Illustrated senior writer Jon Wertheim after the suspension of the John Isner-Nicolas Mahut match at Wimbledon on Wednesday. Play was suspended with the players tied at 59-59 in the fifth set. It is the longest match in tennis history at 10 hours, including 7 hours, 6 minutes in the fifth set alone.
These guys are rocking their rackets at this week's 2010 Wimbledon Championships
When it comes to the appeal of American men's tennis, there is no set standard for the public. Over the course of the Open Era, we've embraced class (Arthur Ashe), petulance (Jimmy Connors), combustible genius (John McEnroe), rock stardom (Andre Agassi) and the monotonous (Pete Sampras). So I guess I should be excited that two young players -- any two -- are simultaneously on the rise after so much negative conversation.
Now that the Aussie Open is reaching the halfway point, time to revise your picks. Of those left standing, who's going to reach the semis and the finals? --Scott Freeman, Atlanta, Ga.
Will you organize a write-for-Haiti in the same spirit as the fine practice session organized by the tennis pros? Can't see a good reason you wouldn't want to. --Thomas Richter, San Francisco, Calif.
1. If there's not outright parity in the men's game, we're a long way from the days when Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were combining to win 17 of 18 majors titles. Federer's flame, understandably, has lost some intensity; and Nadal has suffered in both body and spirit. It was Juan Martin del Potro who won the 2009 U.S. Open, Novak Djokovic who was the MVP of the fall, and Nikolay Davydenko who won the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London. Look for the democratization of the men's game to continue in 2010.
Preliminary programming note for our off-season 'Bag this week. We'll hold our annual Baggies Awards ceremony for 2009 next week. And 60 Minutes will be shown immediately following the game, except on the West Coast where it will air at its regularly scheduled time.
Are you really equating a couple of sets of exhibition tennis to the demands of a long tour season? -- Henry Brito, Atlanta
Maybe Andy Roddick hasn't recovered as well as we all think from his loss at Wimbledon. Look at the losses he has had since then. He lost two tight matches to Juan Martin del Potro, in Washington, D.C., and Montreal. I think the one in D.C. ended in a third-set tiebreak. He lost to Sam Querrey in Cincinnati in two tiebreak sets and now to John Isner in a fifth-set tiebreak. I get the feeling when things get close in the end, he just doesn't have the confidence to pull it out. What do you think of his losses? -- Beth D., Brooklyn, N.Y.
SI.com's Jon Wertheim breaks down the men's and women's seeds at the Australian Open. Read on for the top first-round matchups, dark horses to keep an eye on and his predicted winners.
NEW YORK -- Whether it's Damir Dokic getting thrown off the grounds for creating a row over the price of salmon or Maria Sharapova telling a room full of writers that her life was not about a banana, each U.S. Open provides a handful of moments of strange and unexpected theatre. Yesterday was such a day, though it was the tennis that left you bewildered and drained.
With Labor Day upon us, we decided to let the players do the work today. Here is the story of the first week of the U.S. Open, as told by the men and women at play:
Is John Isner good for tennis? I remember when Mark Philippoussis came around and he had the huge serve but he also had bombs on his forehand. Isner, in my opinion, only has a serve. If you look at his last 10 matches or so, there are a lot of sets that were won at 7-6 indicating that this guy can only hold serve and that is it. What are your thoughts on the rest of his game? -- Mark, Ottawa
Here are five things we've learned as the first week of the U.S. Open wraps up:
NEW YORK -- These are heady times for a 22-year-old whose head stands above nearly everyone at the U.S. Open.
As American tennis fans, we've been spoiled by the long line of men's champions our country has produced. But it's been awhile since one of our own has broken through -- the last American Grand Slam champ was Andy Roddick at the U.S. Open in 2003.
Open the Mailbag boasting about how clean tennis is, and look at what you get: "As the NBA grapples with a betting scandal, tennis must now confront a potential gambling scam of its own. Officials on Friday were investigating suspicious betting patterns on a match involving top-seeded Nikolay Davydenko of Russia, who retired with an injury against a low-ranked opponent at an ATP tournament in Poland." -- Jim Bartle, Huaraz, Peru
Welcome to this week's delayed edition of the Monday Awards, where showing up fashionably late is way too early for Paris Hilton, and Ashley Judd is a bigger Indiana fan than Kentucky fan, for once.
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