tt stern-enzi (recap of live coverage)

The Men’s Final – John Isner vs Rafael Nadal

What did Cypher (Joe Pantoliano) tell Neo before their trip to see the Oracle (Gloria Foster)? There were all of those swirling whispers about Neo maybe, possibly being The One – whatever The One was supposed to be – but Cypher issued a warning, rooted in experience: when you see an agent, just run, like the rest of us.

Isner might not be the one, but today he went toe-to-toe with a seasoned agent of the ATP Matrix and while he lost in straight sets (7-6, 7-6), each went to a tiebreak. He’s played Nadal three times before, most recently at the French Open in 2011, pushing the eventual champion to the brink – a tough five-set match.

As I mentioned in my recap of yesterday’s semifinal against Del Potro, it almost doesn’t matter whether he wins or loses. Isner’s narrative, and my belabored Matrix metaphor, survives because he should now understand that he doesn’t need to run away from the challenge anymore. Stand and face the top players because, as the top American in the men’s game right now, Isner is a player to be reckoned with.

Let’s hope he walks away from today’s final and reloads for the US Open.