Greetings from the press box at the William H. Fitzgerald Tennis Center in Washington, D.C. We're just moments away from the final which will pit the tournament's top seed and the #5 ranked player in the world, Andy Roddick against a dark horse and crowd favorite, wild card entry John Isner.
I'll be going dark in a moment or two, but I'll be keeping notes in real time. I'll share those with you once the match finishes up, and bring you the post-match press conferences too.
If you don't already know, the match will be airing on ESPN 2. See you later.
First Set
Game 1, Isner serving:
Roddick, return into the net, 15-0.
Isner, drop shot into the open court, 30-0.
Isner, ace, 40-0.
Isner, ace. Game Isner.
Game 2, Roddick serving:
Roddick, ace, 15-0.
Roddick, backhand winner, 30-0.
Roddick, double fault, 30-15.
Isner, return long, 40-15.
Roddick, backhand into net, 40-30.
Isnet, backhand wide. Game Roddick.
Game 3, Isner serving:
Roddick, return of serve out, 15-0.
Isner, forehand drop into the net, 15-15.
Roddick, return out, 30-15.
Isner, forehand long, 30-30.
Isner, forehand winner, 40-30.
Roddick, return long, Game Isner.
Break: Isner looks super confident, in fact, a heck of a lot more confident than he looked early last night against Monfils. His service game is a lot stronger out of the gate than it was last night. When Roddick does manage to return his serve, which isn't often, Isner has him running around all over the court.
Game 4, Roddick serving:
Isner, return long, 15-0.
Roddick, backhand wide, 15-15.
Isner, forehand wide, 30-15.
Roddick, ace, 40-15 -- CHALLENGED, OVERULLED.
Isner, forehand winner, 30-30.
Roddick, forehand into the net, 30-40, break point.
Roddick, forehand winner, DEUCE.
Roddick, ace. AD Roddick.
Roddick, service winner. Game Roddick.
Game 5, Isner serving:
Roddick, backhand return long, 15-0.
Roddick, forehand return into net, 30-0.
Isnet, forehand long, 30-15.
Isner, double fault, 30-30.
Isner, ace, 40-30.
Roddick, forehand long, Game Isner.
Game 6, Roddick serving:
Roddick, open court forehand winner, 15-0.
Isner, backhand long, 30-0.
Roddick, forehand winner, 40-0.
Roddick, forehand winner, Game Roddick.
Game 7: Isner serving:
Isner, backhand into the net, 0-15.
Isner, forehand into the net, 0-30.
Isner, forehand return into the net, 0-40.
Isner, forhand long, Game Roddick.
Game 8: Roddick serving:
Roddick, ace, 15-0.
Roddick, ace, 30-0.
Isner, backhand into the net, 40-0.
Isner, service return out, Game Roddick.
Game 9, Isner serving:
Isner forehand drop winner, 15-0.
Roddick, forehand return into the net, 30-0.
Isner, ace, 40-0.
Isner, ace, Game Isner.
Break: A complete breakdown in Game 7, as Isner seemed to just give the game away to Roddick. When Isner's return sailed long at 40-0, Roddick pumped his fists and yelled, as if he knew he had the break he needed.
Game 10, Roddick serving:
Isner, return wide.
Roddick, overhand smash into the net, 15-15.
Isner, backhand out, 30-15.
Roddick, backhand winner, 40-15.
Roddick, ace, Game, Set Roddick, 6-4.
Break between sets: The story here was Isner's breakdown in Game 7, as he gave away a break to Roddick, giving the Texan the break he rarely yielded to anyone else over the course of the week in Washington.
I'll say this: Isner might not beat Roddick today, but it's only a matter of time.
Second Set
Game 1, Isner, serving.
Roddick, forehand long, 15-0.
Roddick, return long, 30-0.
Isner, forehand long, 30-15.
Isner, drop shot into the net, 30-30.
Isner, service winner, 40-30.
Isner, drop shot winner, Game Isner.
Game 2, Roddick serving:
Roddick, ace, 15-0.
Roddick, ace, 30-0.
Roddick, ace, 40-0.
Roddick, forehand long, 40-15.
Isner, forehand into the net, Game Roddick.
Game 3, Isner serving:
Isner, service winner, 15-0.
Roddick, cross-court forehand winner, 15-15.
Isner, ace, 30-15.
Isner, doublefault, 30-30.
Roddick, return wide, 40-30.
Isner, ace, Game Isner.
Break: Isner looks like he's back in a groove with his service game.
Game 4, Roddick serving:
Roddick, ace, 15-0.
Roddick, ace, 30-0.
Roddick, ace, 40-0.
Roddick, backhand into the net. 40-15.
Roddick, ace, Game Roddick.
Game 5, Isner, serving:
Isner, ace, 15-0.
Isner, ace, 30-0.
Roddick, return long, 40-0.
Isner, mishit forehand, 40-15.
Isner, backhand winner, Game Isner.
Game 6, Roddick serving:
Isner, backhand winner, 0-15.
Roddick, service winner, 15-15.
Roddick, forehand winner, 30-15.
Isner, forehand service return winner to open court, 30-30.
Isner, service return into the net, 40-30.
Isner, backhand return long, Game Roddick.
Game 7, Isner serving:
Isner, forehand winner, 15-0.
Isner, service winner, 30-0.
Isner, ace, 40-0.
Isner, forehand winner, Game Isner.
Game 8, Roddick serving:
Isner, forehand return wide, 15-0.
Roddick, service winner, 30-0.
Isner, backhand long, 40-0.
Isner, backhand long, Game Roddick.
Game 9, Isner serving:
Isner, forehand into the net, 0-15.
Isner, forehand winner, 15-15.
Isner, backhand long, 15-30.
Isner, forehand into open court, 30-30.
Isner, backhand into the net, 30-40.
Isner, ace, DEUCE.
Isner, forehand wided, Ad Roddick.
Roddick, return long, DEUCE.
From the crowd: "Send him back to school, Andy!"
Isner, forehand winner, Ad Isner.
Roddick, service return long, Game Isner.
Break: Isner showed some real ice water in that game, battling back from Ad Roddick to a win. The kid has a future.
Game 10, Roddick serving:
Roddick, service winner, 15-0.
Isner, return long, 30-0.
Roddick, ace, 40-0.
Isner, reuturn long, Game Roddick.
Game 11, Isner serving:
Isner, forehand winner, 15-0.
Roddick, service return into net, 30-0.
Roddick, service return long, 40-0.
Roddick, backhand return into net, Game Isner.
Game 12, Roddick serving:
Isner, backhand into the net, 0-15.
Roddick, overhead smash, 0-30.
Roddick, ace, 40-0.
Isner, backhand into net, Game Roddick. Tie-breaker.
JI: ACE, 1-0.
AR: Isner, forehand wide, 1-1.
AR: Isner, backhand into net, 1-2.
JI: Isner, backhand wide, 1-3.
JI: Roddick, return long, 2-3.
AR: Isner, return long, 2-4.
SWITCH SIDES
AR: Isner, return long, 2-5.
JI: Isner, ACE, 3-5.
JI: Isner, service winner, 4-5.
AR: Isner, backhand long, 4-6.
AR: Roddick, forehand winner, 7-4. GAME, SET, MATCH, Roddick.
