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WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 19, 2017

John Isner

Cincinnati, Ohio

G. DIMITROV/J. Isner

7-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Tough match, obviously, but really high quality from both you guys. Where do you feel like the difference was, from him or from you?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, I think the difference was he was a bit more decisive in the big moments. Maybe a little calmer, as well. Sometimes you take the court, and everything is going well and you're not thinking too much out there and things are free flowing.

At times that was the case out there for me, but at times maybe it wasn't. And I think that cost me a little bit. I just think he was, as I said, a little more decisive and a little more free flowing, I think, in the big moments, and of course in a match like that, separated by a few points here or there, that was the case. So credit to him.

Q. Very fine line, obviously, but any regrets on maybe not doing anything differently in the tiebreaker, particularly with set points?
JOHN ISNER: No. I mean, I played some pretty good points. He defended really well. I mean, I hit two of the hardest forehands that I have ever hit in my life that he was able to get back. That's what he does. He's an incredible defender and an incredible shot maker. It's really not that surprising.

But it would have been nice to have won that second set. You know, he played well so he came up with the goods.

Q. You were talking about being more free flowing. I have a tennis instruction channel. What would you advise other players to do to deal with those kind of things? What could you have done a little differently to stay focused in those big moments better?
JOHN ISNER: It wasn't that I wasn't focused. You know, I was maybe a little bit tentative. That's a bad thing in tennis. In all sports, really. You have tension in your body, and it's tough to let go a little bit.

So there were times in that match today where, you know, there were some kind of big moments where I wasn't able to let go.

There's really no secret sauce to getting rid of that tension in your body. Could be a total pain in the ass sometimes. Look, it wasn't the whole match. I just think, as I said earlier, I think maybe that's what cost me a little bit.

I can't speak for him, and maybe he wasn't feeling that maybe as much as I was.

Q. In the other presser you kind of talked about something similar, sort of getting foggy in your mind. I'm wondering if you read any books or techniques simply about mindfulness and relaxation techniques, worked with anyone?
JOHN ISNER: I have worked with someone before. It's not so much books. When I read books, I generally just read about history and nonfiction stuff.

No, really, talking to someone helps, but it's got to ultimately come from you and just really committing to a mindset going out on the court and of course keep doing the things you do to take care of yourself and work on your game. But so much of this sport, just like any sport, is mental and committing to that, which I have done a good job of that this summer.

I still think today was, even though I lost, I still think it's a step forward for me. I think it highlighted some things that I need to work on, especially against really good competition like someone like Dimitrov.

All in all, I think a good week for me.

Q. There's a good chance that at least one set you play in a match is going to go to a breaker, maybe more. How much do you practice simulated tiebreakers in practice and with whom?
JOHN ISNER: I mean, I don't. Sometimes, yeah, at the end of practice, if we're just drilling, okay, might play a tiebreaker. I think a lot of players do that. Nothing I simulate.

Q. I remember Grigor saying he was trying to get the slice low to the backhand. He might have been talking about Delpo; I can't remember. But a big guy, big serve like you, obviously he was trying to do the same thing to you today. Did you know going into this match, were you kind of planning on that? How were you trying to work with that midmatch?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, I mean, he's got a good slice. He uses it a lot, and he does keep it low. You know, I knew going in that I didn't want to kind of get engaged in a little cat-and-mouse with him, but I could have -- you know, I was trying to use my forehand. When he did hit that slice, I would try to use my forehand.

But that's what he does. I mean, I think he does that in a lot of his matches. It wasn't just someone who's big.

Q. Tough loss, but the end of a pretty good week for you. What's the biggest positive you have from this week? And how are you feeling about your game heading into New York?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, I think the biggest positive is I think, for the most part, I did all the right things in the pretty big moments. I felt like throughout this week I played my break points pretty well. I did, in the first set, I played -- you know, I had two essentially set points at 15-40, whatever it was, and I played two good points. He just played two better points.

I think I stepped up this week, which is what I was doing prior to this week, as well, and that's just sort of going for my shots. I mean, there are some times when I didn't, but all in all, I think I just gotta keep that up. It's the only way I can play.

And looking ahead to the US Open, I have a good team, got a great coach and great person to keep me healthy, so just keep working on the right things and I should be in pretty good shape heading into that tournament.

Q. If somebody told you that you were one of the favorites for the US Open, what would you think?
JOHN ISNER: Oh, I don't think I am at all (smiling). Definitely not. I mean, look, I know if I play well and I know what I'm capable of, I know how I can disrupt some players, but I haven't earned that at all, that station to be one of the favorites of the US Open. So I don't think so at all.

Q. You only played him once before, but did he surprise you at all today in the way he played? Where do you think his game is versus where he's been the last couple of years?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, again, I can't speak for him. I thought he played a high-level match. I thought he served really well.

I don't know the stats, but it seemed like he served a good percentage of first serves. He played on top of the baseline and played pretty aggressively.

He's certainly in very good form, absolutely. I mean, I think I played well enough to beat a lot of players out there today. Just not him.

I haven't played him that many times, but he played pretty well today, and I think he had to play well to beat me and he did. He's in pretty good form.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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