Isner earns biggest victory of career with Miami Open title

John Isner finished off the match with three consecutive aces as he delivered a 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-4 victory over fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev to claim the Miami Open title on Sunday at Key Biscayne, Fla.

The 14th-seeded American blistered 18 serves and recovered after an opening-set defeat to win the first Masters 1000 title of his career. The 32-year-old Isner hadn’t experienced much luck in matches at this event level until outlasting the 20-year-old German on Sunday.

Isner had previously lost Masters 1000 title matches on three occasions — to Roger Federer (Indian Wells in 2012), Rafael Nadal (Cincinnati, 2013) and Andy Murray (Paris, 2016).

“I was just ready for this moment,” Isner said in a postmatch television interview on ESPN2. “I’ve been here three other times and I’ve lost on this stage.”

Isner will see his singles ranking soar to career-best No. 9 on Monday. He was 17th, which makes him the lowest-ranked Miami Open winner since 18th-seeded Jim Courier won in 1991.

The biggest victory of Isner’s singles career — and 13th title overall — comes after the 6-foot-10 native of North Carolina got off to a slow start this season.

He needed just one finger to display how many matches he had won this season before arriving in South Florida.

“I couldn’t have scripted this,” Isner said. “I came into this tournament and I won one ATP match all year. I was playing very poorly. I won my first match (here) in three sets and that’s how tennis goes. You gain a little confidence and the next thing you know things start to roll your way. I kept pushing and kept with the plan. … It’s amazing right now.”

Zverev posted 10 aces in the two-hour, 28-minute match and looked strong while winning the first set.

Isner said he caught a second wind early in the second set and it was apparent in the latter stages when he outplayed Zverev and eventually finished off the set with an ace.

Zverev broke his racket when he fell down 5-4 in the third set. Isner rolled through the final game in quick fashion, concluding it with three rocket-like service aces.

“You deserve to be a Masters 1000 champion,” Zverev said to Isner during the postmatch ceremony. “Doing this here is very special for you. We both grew up in Saddlebrook (tennis academy in Tampa), practicing together since I was 14 so I want to thank you for teaching me how to play the game and practicing with me from such a young age.

“You are a big part of what I do on the court so thank you.”

Isner returned serve in the battle of compliments.

“We have known each other for seven to eight years now,” Isner said of Zverev. “I was practicing with him when he was 14 and I knew he was going to be the next big thing in tennis. He has won two of these before so I appreciate you letting me have one.

“You have the brightest future ahead of you and the greatest team with you. You do everything the right way. I see the work you put in. You deserve everything you have accomplished so far and everything you will accomplish in the future. Keep pushing along and you are going to be at the very top one day.”

Isner is the first American to win the Miami Open since Andy Roddick in 2010.

–Field Level Media