Mardy Fish‘s game is a little like his half-grown beard; it looks ragged and doesn’t impress on first inspection. But it’s proof of his savvy and experience, both of which proved better than John Isner‘s one-dimensional game in an Atlanta Tennis Championships final that could be a preview of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic.
Fish, 29, is ranked ninth in the world, but he didn’t do anything exceptional to defeat the 35th-ranked Isner, 26, for the second straight year in the Atlanta final 3-6, 7-6 (6), 6-2. He’ll be the highest-ranked player in the District when things get under way at Rock Creek Park.
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On Sunday, Fish’s fitness and focus were enough to force Isner to give up attempting to break his serve. Usually it’s Isner who demoralizes and embarrasses opponents thanks to a 6-foot-9 frame that enables him to launch balls from a 12-foot height and bounce them over opponents. Given that Isner’s return game is one of the worst on the ATP Tour, it’s also his only hope.
Yet he was on the verge of taking back-to-back titles with him to Washington when he broke Fish’s serve on the first point of the second-set tiebreaker. Instead, despite an eventual 5-1 tiebreak lead and despite being sixth on the tour in aces and 10th in first service points won, he shrunk on a pair of match points.
At his height, Isner may never be able to move like Fish, but if he’s going to reach the level that Fish has attained, he’s got to develop a similar mental fortitude. Perhaps he should stop shaving.
