By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, March 6, 2015
James Ward fought back from a two-set deficit to defeat John Isner, 15-13 in the fifth set, and stake Great Britain to a commanding 2-0 lead over the United States in its Davis Cup opener.
Photo credit: @BritishTennis
Sweat dripped from the bill of his white baseball cap and a weary John Isner blinked to clear his eyes.
Isner could clearly see the finish line as he built a two-set lead and held break point in the third. The American No. 1 just couldn't put the feisty figure in the paisley-patterned shirt completely out of his sight.
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For the second straight year, a hard-charging James Ward roared back from a deep hole downsizing a big-serving American and leaving Team USA looking like a thoroughly haunted bunch.
The 111th-ranked Ward fought back for a grueling 6-7 (4), 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (3), 15-13 victory that spanned four hours, 56 minutes.
Ward's wild win, which came after Andy Murray beat Donald Young, staked Great Britain to a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-five match World Group tie.
It was the longest U.S. Davis Cup match in the tie break era and marked only the second time Isner has squandered a two-set lead.
"This is by far the best atmosphere I've ever been a part of, and thank you so much," Ward told fans in his on-court interview afterward. "It's not just about getting his serve back in, you've got to do something else as well and it's tough to stay concentrating the whole time."
The match left British fans in Glasgow buzzed and breathless, put Murray into a near state of delirium while battering the Americans with a bruising case of deja vu.
A year ago, the then 175th-ranked Ward broke serve five times in a row, reeling off 10 of the last 11 games to stun Sam Querrey, 1-6, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 and stake Great Britain to a 2-0 lead over the United States in the Davis Cup World Group tie played on a red clay court in the outfield of San Diego's Petco Park.
Ward's heroics helped Great Britain to its first Davis Cup victory over the USA in 79 years.
Down two sets today on the slow blue hard court, Ward showed toughness and warning-track power again.
He withstood 130 winners from the towering American, who cracked 39 aces. The tough-minded son of a London cab driver, Ward spends much of his time toiling in tennis minor leagues playing Challenger events. But Davis Cup competition often brings out his best.
Isner, who was not part of the U.S. team that lost in San Diego last year, picked on Ward's weaker forehand wing to win five straight points and seize the first-set tiebreaker, 7-5.
When Ward steered a backhand wide to end a 13-shot rally, Isner broke for a 6-5 second-set lead. Long John lashed a serve winner to build a seemingly strong two-set lead.
All it took was one slight lapse to ignite the 28-year-old Londoner.
Swooping in for another running forehand pass, Ward broke for 4-2 and waved his arms to incite the faithful. Ward backed up the break to extend his advantage to 5-2 before running out the third set.
The 6-foot-3 Ward is seven inches shorter, about 75 pounds lighter and a few steps quicker around the court than the 6-foot-10 Isner. Increasingly, Ward worked sharper angles to make Isner defend low balls on the run.
When Ward held to force a fourth-set tiebreaker he waved his arms like a conductor, imploring the home crowd to make more noise.
Fans responded and so did Ward.
A reeling Isner netted a tame drop shot to fall behind 0-4 in the breaker. Spreading the court to make the big man move and dig out low balls from the corners, Ward drew a pair of forehand errors from a dragging Isner to level the match and force a fifth set.
Both dug in for prolonged fight. Isner would save five match points in all, but Ward was in no mood to be denied.
Credit Ward for his resilience, but Isner contributed to his own demise by allowing himself to get dragged into grinding rallies. Playing too passively in baseline rallies at times, Isner looked depleted before he was defeated.
Serving at 4-5, 30-all, Isner hit a backhand down the line. Ward somehow scraped a running forehand pass crosscourt to earn match point. That stirring shot left Isner's head hanging in disconsolation, like a man who'd just dropped the Liberty Bell.
On a second serve, Isner barreled forward only to confront a very tricky smash. Veering to his right, it looked like the lob might stray wide. Isner took no chances slamming a smash to save match point. Isner erased a second match point with a massive wide serve winner for deuce, eventually plastering his 37th ace of the day holding for 5-all.
In the 20th game, the big man was teetering facing a third match point. Following a slice backhand to net, Isner — and many of the 7,000 fans crammed into the arena — seemed to hold their collective breath as Ward's running lob hung in the air for a split second. A gasp was audible when the shot landed a little long. Isner withstood another crisis for 10-all.
Sprinting to his seat after holding for 11-10, Ward look like a man refreshed— but actually he was just running off for a much-needed bathroom break. The former Georgia Bulldog chomped on his white towel like a chew toy as he paced slowly to his court-side seat after four hours, 24 minutes of play.
Isner failed to convert game point then scattered a backhand crosscourt wide to face a fourth match point. Isner whipped a wide serve, leaned into a forehand winner and unleashed a "let's go!" trying to fire himself up. Match point number five brought the fans out of their seats clacking thundersticks. A serve winner silenced it. Isner looked too tired to celebrate when he held for 11-all.
Hanging tough, Isner hit a defensive lob and forehand down the line for his first break point of the decider after 23 games. Ward was up to the task, hitting a forehand crosscourt and then snapping off an overhead for deuce.
The Briton's third double fault gave Isner a second shot at break point. The American was too passive on the ensuing 19-shot rally as Ward, approaching net for just the 12th time all day, nudged a drop volley. Ward withstood the break-point pressure holding for 12-11.
Though he fought valiantly, it was Isner's last gasp.
A mid-court return sat up, but a tight Isner yanked his forehand wide facing a sixth match point at 0-40.
Ward wisely made Isner play a low volley and the big man pushed it into net, ending an epic quietly and eliciting an eruption from the faithful.
Twins Mike and Bob Bryan will try to keep the USA alive in Saturday's doubles. The twins are scheduled to face Jamie Murray and Dominic Inglot.