Tennis: Hulking ace on track for big time

As he took in the less than awe-inspiring surrounds of the North Harbour Tennis Park in January this year, John Isner could have been forgiven for wondering how it had all come to this, not to mention just where the hell he was.

Surely this wasn't what they meant when they said the 2.06m giant with the huge serve and booming forehand would go places when he burst on to the professional tennis scene in 2007.

After picking up two lower-tier titles in his first three tournaments, the former collegiate star reeled off a record five straight wins in third-set tie-breaks as a wildcard in his first ATP start in Washington.

He eventually went down to Andy Roddick in the final but wins over Tim Henman, Tommy Haas and Gael Monfils as he fired a non-Grand Slam tournament record 144 aces suggested Isner would quickly make himself at home in the big time.

A couple of weeks later he battled into the third round of the US Open, where he took the first set off Roger Federer (yes, in a tiebreak) before succumbing in four to the great champion.

In the space of a few months his ranking had soared more than 500 places to inside the top 200. Surely this big thing was going to be just that for US tennis?

Well, no. Not yet, anyway. He broke into the top 100 last year but just as quickly slipped back out again. Tennis wasn't going to let him have his way with it quite that easily.

Fast forward to January and Isner found himself on the Shore staring over the net at world No 266 Michael Lammer, his opponent in the first round of qualifying for this year's Heineken Open. His ranking of 144 meant that direct entry into even a bottom-rung ATP event such as Auckland was beyond him.

In the brutal eat-what-you-kill world of professional tennis, he also wouldn't earn a cent unless he could get past Lammer and two more qualifying hopefuls. He was a long way from centre court at Flushing Meadows.

"I did really well really quickly and a lot of huge things were expected of me. I didn't really live up to most of them and kind of fell under the radar a little bit," Isner recalls from his home in Tampa, Florida, where he is now putting his feet up and reflecting on a "surreal" comeback season.

That match against Lammer, which he won in his customary three-set slug-fest style, was the start of his journey back to the game's biggest stages.

Having now risen to a career-high ranking of 34, the likeable American will be one of the main attractions when he returns to Auckland in January.

Isner announced his return to the big time in August by knocking off hometown favourite Roddick in a thrilling fifth-set tiebreak (how else?) on centre court in the third round of the US Open.

It was a victory that signalled the big man might yet fulfil the huge expectations heaped on him early in his career.

Despite initial appearances, things don't really come easy to Isner.

In Auckland this year it took two more three-set victories, including a dramatic comeback in a third-set tiebreak against Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci, to get him into the main draw.

Wins over Albert Montanes and yet another three-set tiebreak classic against countryman Robby Ginepri then carried him all the way to the quarterfinals. In all he played 16 sets, seven of which went to tie breaks.

It was a run that saw Isner become a bit of a cult figure in Auckland, with his battling style and borderline circus-freak size winning over plenty of fans.

Unsurprisingly, he remembers Auckland fondly.

"I wasn't really playing that great going in to that tournament and I had to win three really tough matches in qualifying and then won two more matches in the main draw, so it was a great start to my season," he said.

"I just remember having a great experience in Auckland, the city was great, the facility was awesome and the people were great so I'm looking forward to coming back.

"I played a lot of matches and a lot of sets and I was able to pull through in some close ones.

"So I think I did kind of catch some people's eyes and they started following me. Eventually my run came up short when I lost to [Swede Robin] Soderling but it was a brilliant experience, for sure."

The win over Ginepri, which saw fans pack out an outside court for one of the matches of the tournament, was a particular highlight.

"That was the most memorable match in my trip Downunder. Robbie is actually a good friend of mine. He had me, he was up in the third set but I came back on him and was able to pull it out. It could have gone either way and it was actually a cool atmosphere we had going on on an outer court. People kind of packed the court so it was real fun."

Illness sidelined him for three months but Isner came back strongly for the US hardcourt portion of the season, capping some notable efforts with the stunning victory over Roddick.

French star Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Russian Marat Safin were also among the big names to fall to the resurgent 24-year-old as he banked close to half a million US dollars for the season. His confidence has never been higher.

"There is not one guy I dread playing. Knowing that I've beaten some top-10 guys, and with the type of game that I play where I hold serve a lot I am going to be in the match no matter who I am playing most of the time.

"If I'm not playing the number one seed in Auckland then I know I'm going to have a real legitimate shot at winning the match."

This time, Isner's Auckland experience shouldn't be quite so arduous, with qualifying out on the Shore certainly not on the agenda.

"Thank God. Three rounds in qualifying is tough. Playing a first round qualifier on the North Shore with no one watching is tough to get motivated for. Thankfully I've got past that stage and hopefully I can stay here.

"Now that I've got my ranking and my name back up there I know I'll be more comfortable. I don't think that I am going to regress in 2010. I think I'm only going to keep on getting better."