Miami Open 2018: John Isner makes MASSIVE admission after Juan Martin del Potro semi-final
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO was not in peak condition for his Miami Open final defeat, his conqueror John Isner has openly admitted.
John Isner acknowledged Juan Martin del Potro wasn't at his physical best
The American No 17 is chasing his first ever Masters 1000 title and halted Del Potro’s 15-match winning run to move into the final in Key Biscayne, Florida.
Del Potro’s fitness has taken a hit as a result of the blistering form that saw him pick up back-to-back titles at Acapulco and Indian Wells and he was visibly fatigued throughout his Miami campaign.
The Argentine had hoped to climb to No 3 in the world rankings - having only been as high as No 4 despite his 2009 US Open win - and claim the arduous achievement of the ‘Sunshine Double’.
But he ultimately fell short even despite the support of the crowd, who were in overwhelming favour of Del Potro despite Isner being on home turf.
Juan Martin del Potro will enjoy a rest until the clay-court season
Juan Martin del Potro appeared tired against John Isner, as he has throughout the Miami Open
Of course he was extremely tired and I had that on my side. He wasn’t 100 per-cent physically, I know that.
And Isner admitted that, while he produced an excellent display to see off Del Potro, his opponent was not at his best physically, which played into his hands.
“It feels very, very good,” Isner - who had won just two matches in 2018 before Miami - told ATP World Tour after seeing off Del Potro.
“I knew coming into this match today that I was playing extremely well but I’m also up against an opponent who can win matches on fumes because he’s so confident.
“For me to play that way against a very confident player [was great].
“Of course he was extremely tired and I had that on my side. He wasn’t 100 per-cent physically, I know that.
“But you still have to go out there, you still have to play the points and play the points the right way and I was able to do that.”
John Isner celebrates after seeing off Juan Martin del Potro
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Reflecting on how important his strong start was, 32-year-old Isner continued: “I came out, I held serve and I played a great game to break it and played a great break point as well.
“I was up 3-0 just like that. I was feeling very, very good at that point.
“I knew that from that point forward it wasn’t going to be that easy. That was exactly the case.
“But I kept my foot on the gas pedal, I never blinked, I kept going after my shots and was able to come up with the win.”
Isner faces either Alexander Zverev and Pablo Carreno Busta in the final, to which he added: “Either way, it’s going to be a fantastic final. Either way I’m going to be up against a very tough opponent.”