	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 13, 2016

John Isner

Indian Wells, California

J. ISNER/A. Seppi

7-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. This is like the third or fourth change of surfaces for you this year. How are you finding it so far?
JOHN ISNER: No, it's fine. I think it's -- I think that's a bit overrated, in my opinion. As long as you have some time to get used to the conditions, like I have -- or maybe not in the clay court swing; got down there a little bit late.

But, you know, the beauty of being seeded here is I landed on Monday from Australia and -- gosh, this is loud.

You know, played here on Sunday. I had plenty of time to get ready. I think going from any surface to hard court is a pretty easy adjustment. It's going from hard court to clay or grass that takes a little bit.

Q. Obviously you didn't get wins, but overall the South American experiment this year, is this something that was a good idea? How do you feel about that gambit?
JOHN ISNER: Definitely didn't work out, but, you know, I had match points in both matches. Especially the one in Rio, and match points -- and I played the big points not well at all. I think if I won that match I could have gone very deep in that tournament.

So on paper it looks like a very bad decision, but it really -- I don't think it was as bad as it really looked. You know, I wanted to get a 500 in and it just didn't work out. That happens. I learned from it, and it was a poor effort on my part to not play better, I guess.

Q. If you had known that you'd be playing on grass, hard, clay, grass, a lot of surface changes in a short period of time...
JOHN ISNER: See, that didn't really -- again, I didn't know we were going to play on grass, but I don't think it was that big of an issue. I mean, I lost early. Got out of South America quickly and then had some time to practice on hard courts in the U.S.; then we got to Australia on Saturday before playing on Friday to get used to the grass.

So I think after like four days I started feeling pretty comfortable on the grass. It was fine.

Q. It's said sometimes being a tennis player, against Roger or Rafa, Novak, it's like a defensive back. You have to just put losses out of your mind, deal with losses. Yet the win, Davis Cup win, was so incredible. Talk about in your own mind just how satisfying and how sweet that was, and then secondly just talk about that incredible serving performance.
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, it was huge for our team, considering the fact that we have been bounced in the first round of the World Group the last two years.

For me, personally, it was a very similar situation to last year's Davis Cup. I was going into it on the back of two not-so-great tournaments. So going, you know, into the Davis Cup tie, I guess, with not so much confidence, but of course this tie for me personally was much better than the one in Scotland.

It just goes to show how much of a different animal Davis Cup is. I mean, the wins feel amazing. When the team wins and when you're a large part of helping the team win, it's the greatest feeling in the world. When you're a big part of the team losing it's the worst feeling in the world.

I flipped it completely from 2015 and here in 2016, so we're moving on. You know, we're in the quarterfinals. We have it at home and we have a lot of options with our team, so it's a good spot to be in.

As for my serving, you know, grass court can -- it can lend itself to some very good serving days, and there were certainly some good serving conditions for me out there.

Once I got the first match under my belt on Friday I became a lot more comfortable. I had a great rhythm out there. I mean, you know, no double faults and almost 50 aces, so it was pretty good on my part, I guess.

I am glad I was able to do it and I am glad I was able to help out our team.

Q. Does a win like that just sort of erase the bitter taste of the Ward match?
JOHN ISNER: It does. That Ward match is -- oh, man it took me a long time to get over that one. That was brutal. But it does, you know, kind of get the taste out of my mouth a little bit as far as people asking me, Gosh, you go to Australia right before Indian Wells. Wouldn't change it for anything. I wanted to go down there and I wanted to compete. I needed that for, you know, this event and for Miami, as well, even though it's far away.

But tennis players are pretty much used to changing conditions and time changes and whatnot, so I needed that competition for my personally going forward.

Q. There was something on the radar gun that popped up in that match against Tomic, like 157, would be the record for non-challenge level match. I don't know if you remember that point. People doubt the guns. It was pretty high. I don't know if you remember it.
JOHN ISNER: I don't know. It popped up and I'm going to take it. So, you know, I also consider that the world record, because no offense to Sam, in a challenger in Asia or something like that, yeah...

Q. Korea.
JOHN ISNER: Yeah. I'm going to take it. People ask me what my biggest serve is, I'm going to say I'm the world record holder now. Feels good.

Q. Even today it was 23 aces in two sets. How did you find the conditions here? It was cold and windy. How did this suit you?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, it's very good serving conditions at this tournament. It always has been. The ball moves through the air pretty quickly; at the same time, it bounces really high, as well. So for a big servers like myself, this is a -- it's very good conditions.

So, yeah, 23 aces in two sets is pretty good. I'm going to need to keep serving like that if I'm going to keep moving forward in this event.

Q. You played with Karlovic once. You are playing doubles with Milos this week. Any difference playing with one or the other or...
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, that was so long ago when I played with Ivo. Much better player now than I was then. There was also a big language barrier playing with Ivo.

I don't have that with Milos right now. We had a good win first round and incredible atmosphere out there, so I actually had a lot of fun playing with him. Of course we are both going to serve big out there. We have a match tomorrow. We should be a lot more comfortable out there, as well.

Q. What do you expect from yourself this season?
JOHN ISNER: Look, I know I can do some very, very good things here in 2016. Performance goals, I never set those. As long as I am, you know, feeling healthy and feeling fit and strong, which I pretty much do, I can be a very big force, you know, out on the tour. I feel like I can beat anyone.

I'm doing all the right things. Even though I'm 30, approaching 31, I still feel really good. I feel strong and fit, and that's extremely important. It's also encouraging for me to see that guys are playing into their mid-30s now and playing very well.

I don't think I'm any different as far as that goes. I'm looking forward to a lot of good years ahead.

Q. If you don't set performance goals, what are the goals you set for yourself?
JOHN ISNER: The goals are just to work smart. Of course work hard, but working smart is a lot more important for me. I'm not going to be on the practice court three, four hours a day. That's not how I'm built. I need to spend as much time in the gym as I do on the practice court, take care of my body, eat well, so all those things. Stay fit and stay healthy, which I have done for the most part throughout my career.

Of course I have had little things pop up here and there, but I haven't been out for a prolonged period of time. I just want to keep that up.

Q. You get tested a lot as a top player. Curious what you made of Sharapova.
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, we all get tested a lot. I know I do. I think I led the league last year in like home tests or something. They ring my doorbell at 6:00 a.m. It's brutal. It's good for the sport that they are always checking up on us. Our team got checked in Davis Cup as well at 6:00 a.m. we had some good bonding in the testing room there at our hotel.

But as far as Maria goes, it seems to me it was an unfortunate situation for her. You know, she admitted her mistake and, you know, it's a tough pill to swallow for, you know, tennis in general because she's such a huge draw and especially on the women's side.

So, you know, hopefully, you know, I would hope that she doesn't get a four-year ban. That could be extremely detrimental. We will see what happens. Tennis is a lot better when she's around.

Q. When you say 6:00 a.m., is that 6:00 a.m. on a day of a match on Davis Cup?
JOHN ISNER: No, no, no. They wouldn't do it the day of the match.

Q. Day after or...
JOHN ISNER: It was early on. It was fine actually because we were all jet lagged anyway. I think it was like Monday or something.

But for me, you have to -- each player that's in the drug testing pool has to give one hour where they know they will be home. When I'm home in Florida I know I'm going to be sleeping between 6:00 and 7:00 a.m., so if I hear the doorbell come I got to take the test.

I think the rule is if they come outside that hour and I am not home -- obviously if it's 2:00 in the afternoon and I'm out doing something, I can't get in trouble if I'm not there.

Q. Being away from the tour, what are your thoughts about someone taking something that may be performance enhancing for a number of years?
JOHN ISNER: Well, it wasn't illegal, I guess. I'm not one to judge. I'm going to take her word for the fact that she was using it for, you know, her -- the issues she was having with her health. She admitted she should have stopped taking it, had she known, but, I guess it's good that a product like that is banned now.

I wouldn't know anything about it. I'm not going to call her a liar or anything like that. I will take her word for it.

Q. Obviously those of us have gotten to know Justin as a player and an emotional player, then as an analyst we see the cerebral and analytical side. What's that relationship been with you guys with respect to your game plan and the scouting that he's doing for other players? How much of that is going on and how much has that helped so far?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, I think it's helped a lot. I think our relationship is a bit more than a year old now. I think it's been very fruitful for both parties. I finished at my highest ever ranking, 11. Going from 15 to 11 it's a pretty big jump. I had a pretty great year last year.

We are polar opposite in a lot of regards. He freaks me out in the kitchen because I'm super neat and he's not. He's very meticulous with the details on the tennis court and what I need to do on the tennis court, and away from the court I'm the one that's very careful and very detailed.

So we work well together. We know each other's strengths and weaknesses. He's a great guy to have on my side because he does know the game so well, and for me it's been a great help.

Q. So you're known for the Wimbledon marathon, of course. Now you're Mr. 157. Third thing, Trifecta...
JOHN ISNER: I keep setting these weird records. I'd like to win a big tournament like this and make that the third thing.

Q. More than Olympics or Davis?
JOHN ISNER: Winning a tournament like this would be huge. The Davis Cup, also, is very big. You know, as far as the teams I have been a part of, we have been as close as the semifinals. But it appears that, you know, we have a home tie, and if we do win I think we could have another home tie, as well.

Davis Cup now we are in the quarterfinals it will be a big focus of mine. That Davis Cup tie is before the Olympics, as well. I'm not thinking about anything else.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297