Isner’s 15 Minutes of Fame?
Written by Daniel Turner, Friday June 25 2010
If John Isner’s marathon Wimbledon match with Nicolas Mahut was his 15 minutes of fame we’ve all been guaranteed by Andy Warhol then he certainly made the most of the spotlight. And, he definitely had it for far more than 15 minutes. More like 11 hours to be exact.
It is no surprise that after his epic meeting with Mahut, Isner should end up being dispatched in his next match. That happened today when he was bounced in the second round by Thiemo de Bakker in just 74 minutes. No doubt exhaustion played a role in his quick ouster. Still, it leaves Isner out of the competition in round two making it appear to those who don’t examine the line scores that he was an also ran on the grass of Wimbledon.
However, if Isner takes his record setting match as a life lesson he could use it to his favor. After all, it is certainly easier for him to draw positives form the match, having won, than it is for Mahut, having come up short after subjecting his body to a match of epic proportions. Time will tell if Isner grows from his time in the spotlight, or becomes the answer to a trivia question followed by, “Whatever happened to that guy.”
Another person looking to expand upon her fame is Justine Henin. Henin is returning to the one Major tournament she has never won. She is coming off of a less than impressive French Open but she bested Nadia Petrova today in straight sets setting her up for a match on Monday with countrywoman Kim Clijsters.
On the subject of trivia questions, prior to Federer and Nadal, who was the last man to win Wimbledon? The answer is Lleyton Hewitt. Today he topped Gael Monfils to keep himself in the mix. While he lacks the serving powers of the two who have ruled Wimbledon since his victory, his speed could make him a challenger for their throne. Federer has already advanced with his win today over Arnaud Clement.
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