WELL PLAYED.

WELL PLAYED. The great Isner-Mahut match was played at a very high level. You couldn’t have had such a long match if that weren’t the case. If either player had lost form or made mistakes, the set would have ended quickly. The statistics show this. There were very few unforced errors and a high percentage of winners. Given this extraordinary play, I was irritated when the announcers, who were generally good, claimed that the players were not returning serve well. In fact, service returns were weak because the serves were so overpowering. The announcers acknowledged that Isner may have the best serve in the game today. Imagine the good servers of the past, and remember that Isner is six foot nine. The announcers quoted Andy Roddick to the effect that you can’t teach height. The criticisms of the return of serve reminded me of the joke that is often made about great baseball pitchers. “He’s just lucky. His whole career he’s pitched against teams that are in a slump.”

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2 Responses to WELL PLAYED.

  1. Nick says:

    Poor Isner was swept out in straight sets today, the day after the conclusion of the match. Not surprising really. I believe it took 23 games.

  2. Mary Jane Schaefer says:

    Isner and Mahut can walk. They didn’t go to sleep and not wake up. The level of their effort was horrifying to a mother. The sports commentators said that after the second day, as Isner was dragging himself along by using a railing, as he previously had been leaning over between points to stretch his back and keep himself upright by pressing his hands down on his thighs, his mother was distraught at his condition. Yes, he’s a champion and proved it. But his poor mother, watching his press himself beyond imaginable endurance, don’t forget her.

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