Andy Roddick probably wanted to kick a wall in his Gramercy Park pad yesterday. John Isner is ranked 55th and showed why.
The U.S. Open men’s draw — for the first time in its 128-year history — will not have an American in the quarterfinals as a result of Isner’s fourth-round defeat.
Two days after Isner stunned Roddick in a fifth-set tiebreaker in the match of the tournament, the 6-foot-9 former Georgia Bulldog suffered a Flushing Meadows meltdown. Looking spent, Isner lost to 10th-seeded lefty Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, a poor man’s Rafael Nadal.
Isner won the first set, then dropped the next three to lose 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
Six American men — James Blake, Sam Querrey, qualifier Jesse Witten, Taylor Dent, Roddick and Isner — advanced to the third round. None is left.
Verdasco advances to face No. 4 Novak Djokovic, who blew out Radek Stepanek 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 last night.
Isner didn’t seem bothered by the loss or the American shutout. “We got a lot of people to the round of 32,” Isner said.
Yippee!
Because Roger Federer’s Arthur Ashe Stadium match was brief, a line 100 yards long snaked out of Armstrong, waiting to watch Isner. It wasn’t worth the wait.
Isner’s bullet-like serve notched 38 aces against Roddick on “Bloody Saturday.” Yesterday, Isner’s total was 13, and he was broken four times.
After Verdasco lost the first set, the lefty’s kick-serve began to vex Isner. Verdasco moved around the slow right-hander, showing being 6-foot-9 has its drawbacks.
“Physically I felt good,” Isner said. “He just had me on the run. I didn’t really stand a chance.”
