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U.S. OPENAugust 31, 2013John IsnerNEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK P. KOHLSCHREIBER/J. Isner THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. How much was the thigh at the end a factor? JOHN ISNER: The thigh wasn't an issue. It hurt on a few instances, but once I got really warm and whatnot, you know, that certainly wasn't the reason I lost at all. More of a fatigue thing, which was my own fault. You know, I felt like I wore myself out getting charged up out there. It's hard to explain, but I used too much energy doing that. Q. Before the match? JOHN ISNER: No, no, no, during. In that fourth set. Q. When you broke in the fourth? JOHN ISNER: Yeah, even the game I didn't break. I used too much energy, and I shouldn't have done that. It was stupid on my part. So I was pretty gassed there. Had I kept it calm, I think, you know, I could still be out there right now. But all that said, he played a smart match. He was better than me, simple as that. Q. Were you trying to engage the crowd? JOHN ISNER: Well, yeah. I don't know if you saw it, you know, getting myself fired up. And when it gets like that, you know, in a match that was already going pretty long, the conditions were rough. It's so muggy out there. Like, so, so muggy. I was struggling with that a little bit. But really, I didn't have much left. You know, if I could have held on, not gotten broken there at the end of the fourth set, I would have, you know, liked my chances in the fifth. But in that tiebreaker I was pretty gassed. Q. What effect did your previous match and the way the crowd reacted have on your thinking today in making those moves to get the crowd charged up and yourself charged up? JOHN ISNER: Well, it was no effect. You know, I had a feeling that the crowd would be on my side today. The crowd was fantastic, you know, cheering me on. I wished I could have done them a little better. What happened in my previous match had no bearing on today. How I acted out there wasn't, you know, from my previous match against Monfils. That wasn't why I was getting amped up too much. Q. What were the reasons, you think, for getting that amped up? JOHN ISNER: Well, I was enjoying the good atmosphere. It's fun to play in front of a packed house like that. You know, and that's what I do. I mean, a lot of times I just get excited. But in a match like that where the conditions are, like I said, being so humid and I'm sweating through, you know, seven, eight shirts, you know, I just shouldn't have done that. There's a time to do it, and you could keep it a little bit more reserved. I just let out too much energy I feel like at the end of that fourth set where I needed to keep as much energy as possible. Q. Do you think he had confidence from the fact he beat you here last year? JOHN ISNER: Yeah, maybe. You know, I'm not inside his head. You know, he's, you know, just a tough player. He's very solid, and I thought he played a solid match today. You know, I let him off the hook there at the end of that fourth set. I felt like, you know, a lot of times I'd serve out a set and do so, but I didn't. He played a good game, but I didn't make any first serves in that 6‑5 game. Tactically, I didn't mixup my second serve enough against him, so he was able to camp out and know that it was pretty much going to his backhand. Looking back on it, I should have changed that. But, you know, to answer your question, he might have had some confidence, you know, from beating me last year in the same exact round.  But, you know, as I just said, he played well and he was better. Q. Smyczek is the last player remaining in the draw, American player. I know you don't really care what he's doing, but if he loses it will be another first. We've had a man in the fourth round here at least since the Open era began. JOHN ISNER: I don't care. No, I'm going to watch football for a while. That's all I care about. Q. Obviously you know Tim. First time in the fourth round of a slam. What do you think of his being this far in the tournament and his chances against Granollers? JOHN ISNER: I don't know. I mean, I'm happy for him, yeah. I'm not going to watch his match. I like Tim a lot, but I'm done with tennis for a while. Q. You were saying you were feeling a little bit beat up and it's been a long year. What are you going to do now, and is there anything you can take from this to help yourself be a little bit more prepared and not feel this way at the end of the season? JOHN ISNER: No. I felt fine out there. You guys see me with like ice on my knees. I do that with every practice now. So that's a lot more precautionary. The thing with the inside of my thigh kept my out of Winston‑Salem. It's a little bit nagging, but I have a little bit of time to get it healthy now. But, you know, once I got a little adrenaline going through me I didn't feel it so much out there. But there's something there. There is a little strain and whatnot. It will take a little time to heal. You know, I have played a lot this summer. You know, I had a great summer. It's a bit of a disappointing end, obviously, but, you know, I still have tournaments the rest of the year. I've got to try to build on how well I played this summer, because I've set myself up to get back in the top 10 again I feel like. It's up to me to go back out there and try to get back in there. Q. Obviously we talked in Cincinnati about your record in the U.S. has been better than outside it. Asia and European indoors are circuits that should suit you well. How about your focus to get big results there? JOHN ISNER: Yeah, it's a big focus. At the same time, these tournaments are extremely tough. But, you know, I'm not going to put it on cruise control from here. I'm going to try and get better. First and foremost, get 100% healthy, which I will be able to do, and go there and compete as best as I can. These fall tournaments, you don't hear about them too much, but they're very important. Doing well in the fall, it sets you up very nicely for the following year. I need to do better outside of the States. Unfortunately for me, there are no more tournaments in the States for a while. I know I can do it. It's just up to me to do it. Q. You guys out there are under incredible pressure. You had a problem, if I read it right, with a late volley; Venus had a problem the other night with her volley; same as Roddick. Is that a particularly tough shot to execute at crunch time? JOHN ISNER: I don't know what you're talking... Q. I'm talking about executing ‑‑ JOHN ISNER: ‑‑ a volley? Q. Yes. JOHN ISNER: Yeah, it's tough. But, I mean, I don't know the instance you're talking about. In my match today? Q. Yeah. You netted a volley. JOHN ISNER: Oh, okay. 6‑5 in the last set? Q. Yeah. JOHN ISNER: I can't remember that. I don't think it's ‑‑it's a lot of pressure, but it's hard to answer that question. Q. You said you were going to get away from tennis, but one tennis story after you've left this tournament will be the Bryan brothers going for the Grand Slam. Can you just share your thoughts on what they mean to the sport and on their pursuit of the Grand Slam? JOHN ISNER: Yeah. It's amazing. They have had, you know, obviously an amazing career, but this is probably at 35 there your best year ever. They're in a decent position to win this, four Grand Slams, you know, all in the same calendar year and the Olympic gold medal. So I don't know the stats, but it sure hasn't happened too often. They work very hard at what they do. On top of that, they're so talented, but they work very hard and they put in a lot to what they do. So I will be rooting for them, for sure. Q. Speaking of football, if you can transform a tennis player into the NFL, choice of maybe Nadal or Andy Roddick, maybe Juan Martin or somebody else, who would you think to make a switch pretty effectively into the NFL? JOHN ISNER: Um, I think Monfils would be a good wide receiver (Laughter). Q. Would you root for him? JOHN ISNER: Yeah. Why do people think there is some animosity between me and him? He's a very good friend of mine. Q. Have you ever seen a chair umpire walk over and talk to people about their cheering in the stands or anything like that? JOHN ISNER: Did he walk over and say something? Q. To your box. JOHN ISNER: He did? Like got up out of his chair? I didn't even notice that. While I was sitting right there? Q. I think so. JOHN ISNER: I didn't notice that. I don't know what was said or who said it, but, you know, if it affected Philipp in any way, I apologize. I haven't seen that too much. I didn't even see it today, actually. I was probably really tired. I was probably trying to get some water in me. Q. At the NCAA Championships? JOHN ISNER: Sorry? Q. At the NCAA Championships? JOHN ISNER: Oh, yeah. It happens in college tennis with drunk fans and whatnot. Q. You were saying that your goal is to get back into the top 10. Today you used too much energy on the court. Do you feel perhaps you're putting too much pressure on yourself, and that's why you exerted yourself too much out there on the court today? JOHN ISNER: No. Has nothing to do with pressure. I feel like I've done a pretty god job of alleviating pressure on myself. I do want to get back into the top 10. I don't set too many performance goals for myself, but I have set myself up well this summer. Technically I don't have too many points to defend. That's all I'm saying there. You know, me, you know, using too much energy out there, it had nothing to do with pressure. It was just me, you know, reacting to the moment and enjoying the moment, but enjoying it a little too much. You know, a match like that, you have to try to conserve as much energy as possible. I let a lot of it out getting emotionally involved. Q. A question nothing to do with tennis. I understand you have been going to donate 20% of the prize money to America's Vet Dogs. JOHN ISNER: Yeah. Q. Could you talk a little bit about why you're doing that and what your work is with the organization? JOHN ISNER: Well, I've never done much work with that particular organization. It was actually my mother's idea. You know, I feel kind of bad that I'm not‑‑ that I didn't advance further to give that cause more money. I think that's a very worthy cause, given that these dogs save our soldiers' lives and in turn they save American lives. I feel like I'm helping out our troops as well as these canines, which I'm a huge dog lover. I have always been. So I'm sure they will appreciate the small donation. You know, I wish I could have gone further for them. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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