|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
ROLAND GARROSJune 1, 2014John IsnerPARIS, FRANCE T. BERDYCH/J. Isner THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Obviously tough to get into those sets getting down a break early in each one. Talk about just overall how you felt in the match. JOHN ISNER: I felt okay. I was a little slow out there, but I thought the guy just played well. Thought he played very well. He was a lot better than me today, and that's really all it was to that match out there. He was just the better player. Q. Just frustrated at not being able to get into his service game a little bit more? JOHN ISNER: Yeah. Felt like he served pretty well. He did a lot of things well out there. I didn't have many chances and it wasn't really that close. Q. He's 6'5", and I don't think people appreciate how he moves. Talk about how that helped him today. JOHN ISNER: Yeah, he does a lot of things very well. Everything. He's very solid and moves very well for his size. Strong guy. I mean, it helped him out a lot. There is a reason why he's whatever ranked in the world. Q. How about your journey here? Best you've ever done. How does that help you going forward? JOHN ISNER: Decent tournament. Like to have gone farther, but it's nothing to write home about personally. You know, better than I have done, which is an improvement, but nothing to be too happy about either. Q. How big a deal, if any, was getting broken in that first game? JOHN ISNER: Yeah, no, I mean, I don't‑‑ yeah, it was big. I mean, it wasn't huge, but... I started off a little slow. Just wasn't as lively. Everything really, at the very beginning of the match. You know, it cost me that first set, that's for sure. Q. Anything you can pin that on or attribute that to? JOHN ISNER: No. It was a little colder than I expected actually out there. I was just slow from the start. Q. There are different roles in American sports that are kind of special, and one of them is being No. 1 in tennis. Kind of a tough time to talk about it, but if you wouldn't mind, can you talk about what it means being the No. 1 American. JOHN ISNER: Yeah, I mean, it's an honor. Wasn't really a dream of mine or anything like that. Just so happens that I am the No. 1 American. I'm the No. 1 American now, which isn't as cool as being the No. 1 American in the '90s or something or the 2000s. It's pretty neat to say, but it's nothing I would brag about or anything like that. Just trying to keep improving my ranking as best I can. If I'm No. 1 American or 4 American, whatever, I just want to try to keep getting higher. Q. Obviously the only guy in the top 60. Do you think some of young guys are showing signs of doing more? Can we expect to see some even better results on the grass coming up? JOHN ISNER: Yeah. I mean, I think, yeah, a lot of the guys are a lot better than their ranking. I've said that before. So we'll see some guys that are going to get into the top 50 I think pretty soon. Hopefully they can keep climbing after that. There is a handful of guys doing pretty well. You have a guy like Sam, who I still think it's only a matter of time before he starts to find his way a little bit. So we'll have some guys get up ranked higher pretty soon, I think. Q. Do you know or have you practiced with any of the young juniors? Like Tiafoe Michael Moe or Kozlov or any of those guys? JOHN ISNER: No. Q. Seen them? JOHN ISNER: I know Kozlov. Q. Any thoughts on him? JOHN ISNER: No. I haven't practiced with him, so... Q. John, grass is next, which has probably been your weakest surface. What is it about it? Is it the low bounce? JOHN ISNER: Yeah, but it's a surface I've come to actually like and something I'm really excited about this year; whereas in years past I wouldn't be too excited about it. I really do think it can be my best surface and my best chance to do something very good at a slam. I'm very eager to get on the grass. I am going to get home and rest up and get a little stronger and get mentally ready for Wimbledon. It's a big opportunity for everyone, but a huge opportunity for me, too. I really felt like last year I was starting to‑‑ it's one of those things. Felt like it started to click, even though I only won one match there last year. I'm excited to get back on it. It takes some practice and time, and that's what I'm going to do. Q. Have you ever watched old tape of some of the big guys that used to dominate in the '90s? JOHN ISNER:  No, and I hear the grass is much different, too. And I'm really not like a natural serve and volleyer, so I don't watch too much tape. Q. You've been on the circuit now for a while. In your own thoughts, what are you most proud of as a tennis player? JOHN ISNER: Yeah, I mean, I think I've been pretty consistent, consistently good, which came as an actually surprise to me. What I've done in the last four years I've been pretty happy about. Looks like I'm doing that again this year, but it's‑‑ the things that is really disappointing is it's tough to get into that next level, that next level being guys like that dude over there in the press conference. (Pointing to Tomas Berdych.) I'm going to keep working at it. Luckily I feel good. Even though I am 29, I feel like I have a lot of good years ahead of me. Just very lucky to do this. Hopefully I can do it as much as I can. Q. Any thoughts on what the key is to get there? JOHN ISNER: Just in match like today, just to have play better. Simple as that. I believe I have it. I was just beaten by a better player. Had I stepped up my game a little bit, I think I could have made it a little bit of a match. But he was too good today. Q. Finally, if you could have changed anything in your career ‑ I know it's hard to go back ‑ but anything you would've done differently? JOHN ISNER: No. I mean, probably a few things here or there, but nothing really significant. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|