	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

AEGON CHAMPIONSHIP

June 15, 2016

John Isner

London, England

J. ISNER/J. Del Potro

7-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Pretty tight match there, wasn't it?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah. I mean, going into this match I didn't expect someone to win, whether it's me or him, 6-2, 6-2, or something like that. It's grass court tennis. And especially with how I play, I figured it could be a very close match and it was.

You know, it definitely came down, just as a lot of my matches do, came down to a few points here or there. I thought I played them pretty well.

Q. Do you feel he got a little bit wary of the surface, slipping late in the second set? Do you think that may have affected...
JOHN ISNER: Yeah. Actually, he, at that 30-All point in the 4-All game, he had a somewhat easy volley and he lost his footing going to it. So I caught a break there, for sure.

At the beginning of the match it was pretty slippery, especially for me. I fell a few times. You know, I hadn't practiced on grass that much here actually since I have arrived because of all the rain. It was a little bit difficult as far as that goes.

As the match progressed, I definitely started feeling a lot more comfortable out there.

Q. Is it more difficult to move on the grass when you're tall?
JOHN ISNER: I think so. It's definitely not easier, that's for sure. (Laughter.)

You know, it's a higher center of gravity, and, you know, a big guy like myself falls, I'm falling a long way, too. I have to be careful. I'll get the movement down as best as I can, and that's going to come with matches, of course.

So, yeah, it's something that's always awkward at first. But the more you practice on it and more time you spend on it, it sort of becomes second nature and you learn how to move.

You know, it's not uncommon for everyone to slip on the grass. So I know when I do it, it probably looks pretty goofy but it happens.

Q. On paper your game seems to suit grass court tennis: big serve, speed. Why do you think you haven't made more progress at Wimbledon, for example?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, well, the one year I wore myself out after that one match. (Laughter.)

Yeah, it's something I'm looking to improve on, for sure, going forward. I mean, last year, you know, I played pretty well but I had a pretty tough draw running up against Cilic in the third round. I lost in five sets. I did win that one long five-setter there, but after that I have lost probably, I don't know, three or four five-set matches.

It's been tough, but I don't know. Grass, for me, although it doesn't feel that comfortable out there, it is a surface I know I can do extremely well on. I have won two grass court tournaments in the United States, and I played very well in Davis Cup for our country versus Australia on grass this year and I played a good grass match out there today.

You know, this tournament is very important for me, seeing as I'm not playing the next week. I'm happy to move forward.

Q. What do you think of Del Potro's game?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, I think last week was his first grass match in years, so I can't imagine what he's been through and he's been out for a very long time. You know, it's good to see him back on the court. I don't know if he's 100% healthy right now, but tennis definitely needs him in the game. He's one of our most popular players, without a doubt.

So everyone is wishing him continued health and success because tennis is a lot better game when he's around.

Q. What makes him so popular?
JOHN ISNER: I don't know. He just is. He's pretty affable. He's just a good guy. He's so laid back. Everyone in the locker room likes him. He's just a big chill dude, you know. He doesn't seem to have a worry in the world.

I mean, really, you can't find one person that could say one thing bad about him. He's just a really good guy.

Q. Is he someone you look up to?
JOHN ISNER: Well, I look down on him still a little bit. (Laughter.)

No, I don't know if I look up to him. I'm older than him, so it's not like I look up to him in that sense. But, no, I wouldn't say that, but it's someone that I have the utmost respect for, considering, you know, he pretty much reached the top of the game and has been out for so long since then.

It's good to see him back.

Q. You sound as if you're carrying a cold. Is that something that the weather has brought on since you've been here?
JOHN ISNER: No, I think it's the "hay fever" (speaking with a British accent) as you guys call it. Yeah, it hits me -- you know, I take my allergy pill at night. It's like a 24-hour thing. It's starting to wear off, I think. So that's what it is. I get allergies everywhere I go.

No, I feel fine. It's not a cold.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297