John Isner describes Roger Federer as ‘something’ else after American sees serve dismantled

ATP Tour

John Isner says that the way that Roger Federer dealt with his serve in Miami single out the 37-year-old as “something else”.

Isner’s serve is renowned and feared on the tour, and remains his biggest weapon by far.

He came into the Miami Open having been broken just four times in five matches, but Federer racked up four breaks on his own.

“There have been some players [to handle my serve well],” Isner told the ATP.

“He just does it a little bit differently. He just kind of blocks it back.

“Whereas Novak [Djokovic], when he’s locked in, he just kind of rips it back, doesn’t block it too much.

“Roger was standing in close as well, just reacting very well and very fast to my serve. I mean, he’s something else.”

Isner struggled from the off against Federer, who broke the American immediately. It was a crucial period of the match, says the American.

“I needed to come out, especially in that first game, and really try to assert myself.

“I didn’t serve a particularly great game, but he made me pay for it.

“I knew he was going to play well today. I knew he was seeing the ball very big.

“Certainly that was the case. I wasn’t up to the task in the first set, that’s for sure.”

Follow us on Twitter @T365Official and like our Facebook page.

Exclusive – Meet the brothers who grew up alongside Stefanos Tsitsipas and are now teaching the Mouratoglou way