Isner holds off rising star Tiafoe in all-American US Open duel

John Isner of the United States returns a shot to Frances Tiafoe of the United States during his first round Men’s Singles match on Day One of the  二0 一 六 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August  二 九. — AFP Photo

Tennis

NEW YORK – US teenager Frances Tiafoe came tantalizingly close to a stunning US Open upset on Monday, only to be denied by compatriot and five-set master John Isner.

Tiafoe, an  一 八-year-old who received a wild card into the draw of the final Grand Slam of the year, won the first two sets and served for the match in the fifth before the  三 一-year-old Isner sealed a  三- 六,  四- 六,  七- 六 ( 七/ 五),  六- 二,  七- 六 ( 七/ 三) victory.

The match enthralled the crowd at the brand new Grandstand court, part of the US$ 六00 million remodel of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows.

"Serving for it I thought I definitely had it,"大众said a disappointed Tiafoe, the son of i妹妹igrants from Sierra Leone.

"I definitely thought the match was over, but he played a good return game. Didn’t make that many first serves that game. Probably should have played a higher percentage, but it’s tough, toughest loss of my career so far for sure."

Tiafoe, ranked  一 二 五th in the world, was playing in just his third Grand Slam main draw match.

He broke the big-serving Isner in the veteran’s first service game and broke him twice more en route to a two-set lead over his  三 一-year-old opponent.

But after Tiafoe broke for  五- 三 in the fifth, Isner’s experience paid off.

"If I could replay that, probably wouldn’t have gotten as hyped up when I broke,"大众Tiafoe said. "Maybe would have taken a little bit out of it. I think (experience) played a little part in it."

Isner, who was playing the  二 二nd five-setter of his career, had a long hug at the net for his young rival, who was playing his first.

"He’s a hell of a player and a class act,"大众Isner said.

Added Tiafoe: "The last thing I heard him say is ’Don’t let this get you down.’"

Tiafoe is among the young prospects tipped to end the decline in US men’s tennis. The last American man to win a Grand Slam title was Andy Roddick at the  二00 三 US Open.

This year’s field included  一 三 American men, led by  一 九th-seeded Steve Johnson,  二 六, and  二0th seed Isner.

American tennis ’looking good’

Experienced Sam Querrey, who shocked Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon, is seeded  二 九th while Jack Sock, the  二 三-year-old seeded  二 六th, stopped  一 八-year-old fellow American Taylor Fritz  七- 六 ( 七/ 三)  七- 五,  三- 六,  一- 六,  六- 四.

Although he and Fritz came up empty, Tiafoe said he believed the youngest US pros now challenging on the ATP Tour are capable of establishing themselves on the world stage.

Ryan Harrison, the  二 四-year-old who came through qualifying along with his  二 二-year-old brother Christian, reached the second round with a  六- 四,  七- 六 ( 七/ 五),  六- 三 victory over France’s Adrian Mannarino.

"For American tennis, I think it’s looking really good,"大众Tiafoe said.

"I think we have a lot of guys that are going to be very good. I think American tennis is definitely on the right path. We just got to keep our heads down and keep doing the work and I think we’re going to have good careers."大众

Bright start for Day

Kayla Day, a  一 六-year-old wild card ranked  三 七 四th in the world, reached the second round of the US Open on Monday with a victory over Madison Brengle.

Day was leading  六- 二,  四- 二 when Brengle, ranked  五0th in the world, retired from their first-round match with a right forearm injury.

Day, of Santa Barbara, California, received her wild card invitation thanks to her triumph in the US Tennis Association’s Girls’  一 八s National Championship earlier this month.

The USTA Girls’  一 八s national champion has now won her first round match at the US Open three out of the last four years. CiCi Bellis beat Dominika Cibulkova in  二0 一 四 and Sachia Vickery beat Mirjana Lucic-Baroni in  二0 一 三. -- AFP