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U.S. OPEN

August 29, 2007

John Isner

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Couple months ago you said you really didn't pay much attention to pro tennis besides Federer. Is that going to help you out?
JOHN ISNER: Well, I don't know. Still, he's the only guy, apart from when my friends are playing on TV, that I enjoy watching.
I don't know if it's going to help me out. I don't know if anything's going to help me out. I don't know. I'm going to have to come up with some sort of game plan against him, but we'll see.

Q. I can't imagine you are aware, but the TV broadcast was sort of bouncing between Federer's match and yours. According to John McEnroe, right when you had set point, Federer looked up at the score and saw that you had won the match, then proceeded to lose his serve. McEnroe's theory was that this somewhat rattles him, the prospect of facing you. Could you respond to that?
JOHN ISNER: I don't know if he gets rattled too much. That was probably just coincidence. It was a freak accident, him losing his serve right there. Definitely don't think him realizing I won a match had anything to do with that.
But, I mean, kind of funny, probably write a little stuff about that. But I don't know. I don't know what to say about that.

Q. Can you go into that match really believing you can win?
JOHN ISNER: I'm going to have to. If I go in that match not believing I'm gonna win, just happy to be out there, you know, he's going to smell that, he's going to smell that blood and just attack.
But I'm going to go out there and just play my game. Most importantly, have a lot of fun. I'm gonna believe. I'm not saying I'm gonna win, but I'm gonna believe. That's what I have to do.

Q. Does this all seem a little surreal to you, I mean what's happened?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, I mean, playing my first Grand Slam ever, hearing that I got a wildcard into this event was pretty special. Now knowing that I've won two matches against quality opponents, having my next match against, I believe, the most dominant athlete in the world - any sport - the chance to play against him on Arthur Ashe, yeah, it's definitely surreal.

Q. At what point did you know, was it after Washington or during Washington, that outside your serve you could stay with the pro guys from the ground?
JOHN ISNER: Uhm, I mean, I've always believed I could. Sometimes I'm playing these guys, I've had a lot of trouble converting on breakpoints. I'll get breakpoints. I'll get a little tentative, get a little tight. Tonight I didn't. I was hitting out on the ball, going for it, but playing smart. I didn't really feel much pressure when I was up breakpoints.
That's what I got to continue doing. You know, my breaks, if I play like I did tonight, I'm going to get some breaks against these guys.

Q. Do you hit out much more in practice than you do during matches? Do you really rip your groundstrokes in practice?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah. I mean, I would say definitely I'm more of a match player than practice player. I couldn't beat our No. 8 guy from the University of Georgia in practice.
I think I, you know, I try new things in practice. Try a lot of things, try to help my game. When I get into a match, real-life match, I play a lot better. I'm more relaxed even during a match than I am in practice. I don't know what it is.

Q. Because of your game, you live and die by the tiebreak a lot. Obviously in D.C. that was a big factor, and here tonight. Your tiebreak record is decent but not really that great. It's 11-7. Talk about the tiebreak in your own game, the importance of that.
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, I mean, hopefully my next match, I'll get it into a tiebreak, I like my chances if I serve out of my mind in that tiebreaker (smiling). But, yeah, I mean, these guys are so strong in every aspect of their games, the guys I'm competing against now. To get it into a tiebreaker, I've done that a lot, I feel real confident because of my serve. Coach at Georgia always told me get one of two points on my opponent's serve. That's what I really try to focus in on and try to do.

Q. Do you practice tiebreakers more because of your style?
JOHN ISNER: No, I don't go out there and practice like we're going to play tiebreakers. I don't necessarily practice tiebreakers, no.

Q. Does the college world seem a million miles away right now?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, it really does. It's only, what, about three and a half months ago or something that I was still in college, playing in college tennis in Athens. Seems like forever ago. I've done so much since then. Yeah, just seems so long ago.

Q. Do you approach these matches like you don't have anything to lose?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, I mean, I really don't have anything to lose. I'm probably the lowest-ranked guy in this tournament - one of 'em at least. You know, every guy I'm playing against is ranked ahead of me. I'm probably not the favorite going into each of these matches, so there's not that much pressure on me. I believe most of the pressure's on my opponents.
You know, go out there and just swing away and see what happens.

Q. Federer said if he had to play himself he would attack a lot. Do you see yourself changing your game any more when you play him off the ground?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, I mean, I'm gonna have to attack, try to get into the net, make the points shorter. I'm not gonna -- I know I can't hang with him from the baseline. Hopefully hit my groundstrokes well and find the opportunities to get into the net, try to finish off points is what I'm gonna have to do.

Q. You were understandably tired at the end of Legg Mason. I'm wondering how fit or how well-rested you feel now. Also the amount of rest between now and Saturday, is that a good amount, too much?
JOHN ISNER: I think it's a great amount. It's two days. Gives me two days. I still got doubles. I think I play doubles tomorrow for sure. Hit the practice courts. Won't hit 'em too hard. Just do everything to get my body ready for Saturday.
I think that's gonna help me a lot. I'm going to be real fresh going out there. I'm definitely gonna enjoy these next two days.

Q. Have you thought about who you might ask for advice or tips on facing Federer?
JOHN ISNER: I don't think you ask anybody's advice against him. Gosh. I mean, I don't know, maybe I'll come up with some sort of game plan. I haven't asked anybody so far.

Q. When you watched him play on television, did you ever imagine yourself playing him?
JOHN ISNER: Never really -- especially not on -- I guess maybe going into US Open, I'm thinking I might draw him first round. I never would have imagined playing him in the third round of the US Open. That's what I'm doing Saturday. I don't know what time the match is scheduled. It's gonna be on Arthur Ashe. Playing against him in the third round of a Grand Slam is something I never could have imagined.

Q. How many tickets are you going to ask for?
JOHN ISNER: Oh, gosh. I've already gotten calls from so many friends in North Carolina, teammates from Georgia want to come up. Got to sit down and figure out all this stuff in the next couple days.

Q. Did you have a nickname on the Bulldog team?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah. One was "Grandpa." I'm so slow with everything I do, I don't get much accomplished. Off the tennis court, I just sit around, don't do anything. And "Lloyd," the new one was "Lloyd." I got this awful, awful haircut one time. Remember Lloyd Christmas from Dumb and Dumber. You know he had this straight across, it was exactly what my hair was like. Only thing missing was the chipped tooth.

Q. As far as the crowd reaction, have you gotten used to hearing all the barking while you're out there?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, good friends of ours in Athens, Mark Hodge, father of one of my best friends, Bo Hodge, he came up today and did this Bulldog bark. He growls and barks. He did that a couple times tonight, got the crowd going. The crowd responded to that, I think. Pretty neat.

Q. Could you remind us your coaching situation. They hooked you up with somebody with the USTA.
JOHN ISNER: I'm working with Ricardo Acuna with the USTA. I've been solely with him for about a month. Doing great working with him. Obviously planning on continuing to work with him. He's been great to me. Gives me a lot of good advice. Keeps me relaxed, keeps me calm. Something I look forward to working with him in the future.

Q. Do you still talk to your coach from home, too?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, I do. Coach Diaz was there tonight. He's here. Called him. He was the first person I called after my match. He's the first person, outside my mother when she's not there, that I call when I play a match, pro match. He's always wanting to hear how I do. It's good to keep in touch with him.

Q. I know you said your dad doesn't like to watch you play, but Federer, Arthur Ashe, he won't be coming?
JOHN ISNER: No, no, no, my dad does. He just doesn't sit in the box. He'll purchase a seat in the nosebleed section.

Q. So he's here?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, he's here. He watches my matches. You won't ever see him. He's somewhere up in the bleachers, yeah.

Q. Would you get nervous if he was sitting close or is it vice versa?
JOHN ISNER: No, I wouldn't get nervous at all. I think it's his thing. He's always kind of done that. Doesn't want to be with all the supporters down there for whatever reason. I guess he just likes to sit by himself and relax and not have my crazy brother screaming in his ear during the match.

Q. The conventional wisdom is that promising players should skip college and get right into this. You seem to be disproving that. Did college tennis prepare you for this?
JOHN ISNER: Yeah, without a doubt.

Q. In what way?
JOHN ISNER: If it wasn't for college tennis, no chance I'd be here sitting in this chair right now. I've said this a lot. I got so much stronger in college, physically, mentally. I won a lot in college. I had so much fun in college. I wasn't out here grinding on the Pro Tour at 19. Didn't seem like too much fun to me. That's why I chose to go to college. Gained a lot of confidence from college because I won so much. Just carried that over to the pros. I had great coaching there, especially under Coach Diaz for four years. Was definitely the right choice for me.

Q. What was your best win in the juniors?
JOHN ISNER: I have no clue. I never beat anybody really that good. I wasn't that good as a junior. That's why I chose to go to college. I didn't play much ITFs either. Never traveled outside the United States to play a tournament. I probably beat some players in the top 10 in the country, but that was about it.

Q. Have you contemplated how much this might help recruiting at the University of Georgia?
JOHN ISNER: I've had a lot of people call me about that. It's been good publicity for Georgia. We're already on top of the college tennis world. We won it all. Probably only gonna help Georgia out more, so.

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