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BNP PARIBAS OPENMarch 16, 2015John IsnerINDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA J. ISNER/K. Anderson THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Obviously a good win for you. Probably your best of the year, easily. JOHN ISNER: Yeah. Q. What were your thoughts on what went right out there? JOHN ISNER: Yeah, you know, not much separates us when we play each other. Today was no different, especially in that first set. I'm really proud how I sort of hung in there. I was down two mini breaks in that tiebreaker. I had a set point at 5‑4. I was in the point. I put a great return, and I just missed a forehand. You know, it's been a while. Those are the matches I'm accustomed to winning matches like that. I haven't really done that this year so far. Winning that, it's pretty big for my confidence. Serve came up huge when I needed it in the first set tiebreaker. 146 right on the line, and I just gutted it out and I played a good second set. So I'm happy with that. Q. When you came in here you talked a little bit about your disappointment about what happened at Davis Cup. These two matches are great wins and performances. Are you exorcizing those demons? Getting back on track? JOHN ISNER: Not really, to be honest. Davis Cup is a completely different animal. I have done a pretty good job putting that behind me, but it's still extremely disappointing. I'm out here playing for myself now. I'm not necessarily wearing the stars and stripes on my shirt playing against another country right now. These wins are great, but the Davis Cup still stings a lot. Q. Djokovic potentially next. Probably the best of the big four matchups for you in your career. You have beat him here before. JOHN ISNER: Yeah, if he wins, this is the third time I would have played him at this tournament. Both three sets. I have won one; he won last year. I can't ask for better conditions to go up against someone like that. These conditions suit me very well. That being said, every condition suit him well. He does everything the best. That's why he's No. 1 in the world. There is no surface he's a slouch on. But I think a court like this and maybe hopefully the crowd on my side can certainly help me a lot. I seem to run into him in Masters Series events, and I would like to play him again, you know. I anticipate he's going to win. You never know we'll see. Q. Looking at incredible stats here. You lost a total of seven points on serve. JOHN ISNER: Today? Q. Yeah. JOHN ISNER: Yeah. I mean, I only lost five in my first match. I'm serving pretty well. As I said, these conditions are very good for everything. My serve, kick serve gets up. Even gets up on a guy like Kevin. Q. So you get up a break and it's like... JOHN ISNER: It certainly takes a lot of pressure off. That's why I was proud of how I got the break in the second set. I won that point. I hit a clean winner, you know. My opponent didn't miss a shot. Very proud of that. Haven't played too many points with that conviction so far this year. I feel like I'm turning the corner a bit. Q. How often did you play him in college? JOHN ISNER: A lot. He's the guy I have played the most in the pros, too. Q. Really? JOHN ISNER: That was our 11th meeting in the pros. I haven't played anyone 11 times. I seem to run into him a lot. It's always so close. That first set went my way fortunately, and then I was able to ride it out. Q. You just know you will step out there and it will be one bomb against another bomb? JOHN ISNER: Yeah. I mean, we have played matches that have gone three tiebreakers twice. We haven't played too many matches where there hasn't been a tiebreaker. It's just all about who can win those big points or who plays better in those big points. I was able to do that today. You know, next time I play him it could definitely be different, but today went my way. Q. There is kind of an idea of players, when you return to a tournament that you played so well at, that it all kind of comes back; that there is a confidence factor and all that sort of stuff. Is that overblown? JOHN ISNER: No, it is an actual thing. Conditions and just overall comfort level at a tournament, enjoying the town, things like that. You know, this tournament couldn't have started any better for me so far. I played a great first match having, I guess, lost, what, like four matches in a row coming into this tournament. Really not too high on confidence. But when I get out there and play the ball is sitting up in my strike zone. It's not a situation where the ball is staying lower and I'm not able to hit down on the ball. It gives me a lot of time to go for my shots, and, you know, it's up on my shoulders, which I like. Q. Why do you think this start to the year was slow for you? Something in the offseason that wasn't set up or... JOHN ISNER: No. I mean, I probably worked harder this offseason than I have in any other offseason. Just one of those things that you can work as hard as you can but it doesn't mean anything. Doesn't guarantee you success. I have had slow starts in prior years, too. I have been able to sort of overcome them and have a good year. But at the same time, really I haven't played too many tournaments. This is just my fourth ATP tournament. I've got a lot more tournaments on my schedule going forward. You know, this is the first Masters event. You know, I've got seven, potentially eight, more ahead of me and three Grand Slams. There is a lot of tournaments ahead. These are the tournaments I need to play well at. Q. Looking further ahead, do you have big clay goals this year? You talked about you like the surface a lot. You haven't done that great I guess in Madrid or Rome. Is that something... JOHN ISNER: Madrid is a very good tournament for me, the conditions. I have run into some Spaniards there in the round of 16, I think, which is a very tough ask. Rome, I could do without that tournament. I have been out of singles and doubles there on Monday last two years, which is pretty pathetic. But, no, I can play well on clay. Right now I'm planning on playing Monte‑Carlo, as well. I want to go after it. There is some huge tournaments ahead of me, and I'm going to play more on the grass. There are two 500s now on grass prior to Wimbledon, and I'm going to play that, play that week. You know, there is a lot ‑‑I feel like I can play well on a lot of surfaces and clay is one of them. Q. On The Tennis Channel, Justin was saying this morning that you guys had that long drive from LAX out here to kind of talk about everything. That conversation, is it mostly a mental thing or is it a check‑in? JOHN ISNER: No, it wasn't so tactical. If anything, we focused less on the tactical side of things. It's more in between my ears and it was nice of him to pick me up at LAX at 3:00 p.m. on a Monday and drive me over here. It was exactly 3:00 p.m., you know. I flew in from London. I was certainly a little tired or jet lagged, whatnot, but it was a great conversation. Look, I have never wavered with any of the work that I have done with Justin. He's been all in on his part, and I feel like I have been all in on my part. I just haven't allowed myself to ‑‑I have been a bit of a mental midget in some instances this is year in tournaments, but I'm trying to get better at that. And Justin, he's been by my side and he's worked extremely hard. It's going to pay dividends, for sure. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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