John Isner crashes out of Memphis right away, going down to Denis Istomin in straight sets on Tuesday. Fellow American James Blake and No. 5 seed Kei Nishikori are more fortunate.
Denis Istomin d. John Isner 6-4, 6-3
Isner did not last long at the U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships. The slumping American went down to Istomin in exactly one hour during first-round action on Tuesday night. Istomin lost a mere six points in nine service games while benefiting from six Isner double-faults.
Isner, who has struggled to win matches of any kind since last summer in part due to a recent knee injury, lost his way early and often in this one. He dropped serve midway through the opening set and never came close to getting it back. Istomin closed out the set with a routine hold at 5-4. The second progressed in even easier fashion for the 63rd-ranked Uzbek. He missed two break chances right off the bat, but a break at 3-3 all but ended the proceedings. Isner was so hopeless returning his opponent’s serve that it hardly mattered when he got broken one more time. Istomin solved the Isner serve again at 5-3 so he did not even have to close it out himself.
(5) Kei Nishikori d. (Q) Illya Marchenko 6-4, 7-5
Nishikori held off Marchenko in one hour and 28 minutes on Tuesday night. Although it did not go the three-set distance, there were more than a few momentum swings. Marchenko, who did well to qualify for the main draw over the weekend, battled back from a break down in the opening set but then donated serve at 4-4. Nishikori served it out one game later.
Memphis’ No. 5 seed trailed by a break in the second and he even saw his opponent serve to force a decider at 5-3. Nishikori broke, however, and the 146th-ranked Ukrainian could not recover. In fact, Nishikori ended up winning the last four games of the match to steal the second set and clinch victory. Japan’s top player awaits either Xavier Malisse or Donald Young on Thursday.
(WC) James Blake d. Florian Mayer 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
Blake battled through a back-and-forth affair that lasted only one hour and 19 minutes despite going to three sets. The 33-year-old American led 3-0 in the first only to lose eight of the next nine games. That stretch saw Mayer steal the opener and lead by a break at 2-0 in the second.
At that point, however, Blake found the level that had carried him through the the first three games. The world No. 109 especially picked up his serve and he finished with 10 aces and zero double-faults. Mayer, who is now a disappointing 3-6 for the season, lost his way and donated serve twice in the decider as his opponent constantly abused his second deliveries. Next up for Blake is either San Jose champ Milos Raonic or fellow wild card Jack Sock.
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