Isner Ready to Fill American Void

John Isner celebrates a victory over No. 1 Novak Djokovic.

John Isner was no match for Roger Federer in the finals at the BNP Paribas Open.

But Isner's two weeks in Indian Wells were something special, and for the first time in a long time an America seems poised to challenge tennis' upper echelon.

Isner will become the second U.S. player in the ATP Tour's top 10 rankings, because of his finals appearance, and he became the first American to beat the world No. 1 player since 2008 in an electric three-set victory over Novak Djokovic.

"It was very special when that last ball went by (Djokovic) and I knew I had won the match. I knew it was a very weird feeling, a very nice feeling. It's something that, you know, you don't experience every day," Isner said after the semi-final match.


Prior to defeating Djokovic, Isner posted the biggest win of his career last month beating Federer in four sets in the Davis Cup.

The North Carolina-native uses a massive serve, which often tops 140 mph, and he's gotten the attention of the top players on tour.

"I thought he was always going to be top 10 from the first time I played him, to be honest. I'm happy he's made that move up," Federer said after their final match.

"I'm definitely not content. I want to get to more finals like this, this big, and I want to play my best in them," Isner said. "I'm gonna keep working. This is obviously a fantastic tournament for me. I'm gonna remember this one for a long time."