Rarely does the 6’6” Alexander Zverev find himself overmatched in height, but that’s exactly what John Isner did in the final of the Miami Open presented by Itau.

At a whopping 6’10”, the American struck 18 aces and was unbroken throughout the match, finally earning victory in a tightly contested 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-4 decision over Zverev. The win was his first over the German in four tries – although the two go back even farther than their ATP World Tour meetings. The two have been frequent practice partners at Saddlebrook Resort for years and have shared a friendship for years.

“The first practice that we ever played I think I was 15, and it was the last day of the offseason and he went to Australia, and he lost to me,” said the 20-year-old, who is 12 years younger than Isner, himself now the oldest first-time ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titlist.

“He was quite disappointed, I remember. But he’s a great guy,” added Zverev. “He was always kind of pushing the younger guys. I’m happy that, you know — I’m never happy to lose, but if I lose, I’m happy that he won [his] first Masters.”

Ultimately, it wasn’t to be for Zverev this year at the Miami Open. And, at Crandon Park, it will never be.

Contesting the last final to be held at the historic Crandon Park before the tournament moves inland to Miami Gardens’ Hard Rock Stadium, Zverev fell just short of his third ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title.

“I’ll never win here,” said Zverev after the match, with a smile. Although the move to a new venue will be a big change for players, who have played at Crandon Park for their entire careers, the German welcomes the change and the excitement that will come with it. 

“[Crandon Park] is a great site; it’s a historic site. It’s one of the oldest ones that we still have. But I think changing next year to the new one is going to be amazing,” he said. “I think the stadium will be amazing. For the crowd it’s going to be amazing. For us players it’s going to be much, much better. It’s a good move, but still we’ll miss this site.”

‘Amazing’ was Zverev’s word of choice, which was completely fitting considering the amazing twists and turns of the final he just contested, saving 10 of 12 break points faced and battling it out against one of the ATP World Tour’s biggest servers.

“I played bad from the baseline,” said Zverev in a critical assessment of his own performance. “But, you know, it’s not easy against John, because you always feel the pressure that if you get broken you’re not going to win the set. 

“He played great. He played very well from the baseline and he returned very well. Obviously his serve, but we don’t need to talk about the serve.”

Zverev, who turns 21 on April 20, was bidding to become the youngest player to win three ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles since Novak Djokovic in 2008. Now, just 60 points behind Marin Cilic for third in the ATP Rankings, he is in strong position to surpass his career-high of No. 3 as the year continues.

(1) Confidence is key (especially for Isner)
It’s safe to say that John Isner was not a favourite to win the Miami Open presented by Itau. The American arrived at Crandon Park having won two tour-level matches all season (2-6) with neither of those victories coming against opponents inside the Top 80 of the ATP Rankings. 

But after losing the second set in his opening-round match against Jiri Vesely 1-6, the American won 11 consecutive sets to capture the biggest title of his career. Isner had won 12 previous tour-level trophies, but none of them came outside of the ATP World Tour 250-level. 

“I knew the only way I was going to be able to win this [Vesely] match is if I free up and just loosen up and just hit the ball,” Isner said after stunning Indian Wells champion Juan Martin del Potro in the semi-finals. “I was playing loose and playing free. And then from there I have been on the right path.”

That path led Isner to 53 straight service holds to conclude the tournament, helping him beat three Top 6 opponents: No. 3 Marin Cilic (Round of 16), No. 6 Del Potro (SF) and No. 5 Alexander Zverev (Final). It is the first time he has beaten two players in the Top 5 at the same tournament. And to think, he had only won two matches all year.

(2) Zverev is poised for another big year
It was not the best start to 2018 for Alexander Zverev, as the German suffered three of his first four defeats this season against players outside the Top 50 of the ATP Rankings. But the 20-year-old phenom showed in Miami that he is plenty capable of raising his level to contend for more titles after triumphing five times a year ago. 

After battling through a third-set tie-break in his second-round match against Sydney champion Daniil Medvedev, the German found his stride. Zverev played excellent tennis to oust David Ferrer, who played at a level reminiscent of his time in the Top 5 in the opening set of that encounter, and then went on to oust No. 17 seed Nick Kyrgios, BNP Paribas Open semi-finalist Borna Coric and No. 16 seed Pablo Carreno Busta without dropping a set. 

As Zverev told reporters, “I just missed too many balls. That’s it.” If the German’s backhand passing shot at 30/30 on Isner’s serve while leading 3-2 in the deciding set dropped just a fraction of a second sooner to earn break point, the match could have possibly ended differently. Zverev could have lifted the trophy to become the youngest since Novak Djokovic in 2008 to own three Masters 1000 titles.

And while he doesn’t have the glory, Zverev will have confidence to build upon as the ATP World Tour shifts to the European red clay.

(3) Juan Martin del Potro is going in one direction — up
Yes, the Argentine was unable to become the first player to win back-to-back-to-back titles at Acapulco and the ‘Sunshine Double’ in Indian Wells and Miami. But it is important to remember something — Del Potro is once again one of the most feared players on the ATP World Tour.

The World No. 6 got off to a career-best 21-3 start to the season, with his 21 wins leading the Tour. And not just that, but Del Potro’s 15-match winning streak before falling against John Isner in the semi-finals was the second longest of his career. During that streak, Del Potro beat four Top 10 players in the ATP Rankings — three of the victories coming in straight sets — including a triumph against Roger Federer, who had been undefeated in 2018 until losing to the ‘Tower of Tandil’ in the BNP Paribas Open final.

And the scary part is that Del Potro has just 355 ATP Rankings points to defend through Wimbledon. To put that in perspective, he earned 360 points for making the semi-finals in Miami. So if he can maintain his excellent form — and there is no reason at the moment to doubt that he could — Del Potro has a fantastic opportunity to climb back into the Top 5 for the first time since February 2014.

“I played well. I did a good tournament,” Del Potro said after losing to Isner. “I go home with many things to celebrate.”

Del Potro is clearly back, and perhaps better than ever. Not bad for a guy who was World No. 338 after Miami just two years ago.

(4) Thrilling End To Crandon Park era sets stage for a grand new beginning
When founder Butch Buchholz moved his tournament to Key Biscayne in 1987, he may not have known just how special of an event it would become.

Eleven World No. 1’s raised the trophy during the tournament’s stay on the island, and every winner in 32 years at the location climbed inside the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings at some point during their career. Only the best in the sport managed to succeed at Crandon Park.

But after 32 years of memorable tennis, Isner’s victory at the Miami Open presented by Itau ended the tournament’s stay at this location. Next year, the event is moving to Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.

“Never, ever could have imagined myself playing the last singles match at this historic site and being the winner, being the last winner here at Crandon Park,” Isner said. “It’s amazing. This is the best moment of my career.”

And it was fitting that an amazing era came to a tremendous close with dramatic singles and doubles finals. John Isner and Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan came from a set down to win thrillers in their respective Key Biscayne finals.

(5) The Bryan Brothers Lined Up For Another Shot At No. 1
Last year was the first time since 2009 — when Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan won seven titles including the Nitto ATP Finals — that the brothers did not win at least one ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title in a season. But the 39-year-olds, who turn 40 in April, added Masters 1000 trophy No. 37 to their collection on Saturday with an impressive come-from-behind win against 2017 Next Gen ATP Finals qualifiers Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov.

And based on their early form in 2018, the Bryan brothers are once again a threat to climb back toward the top of the ATP Doubles Rankings. The Americans have won 12 of their past 14 matches, including a runner-up finish at the BNP Paribas Open. They also began their campaign by advancing to the semi-finals of the Australian Open.

Only one team has earned more ATP Doubles Rankings points than the Americans (2,665) this season — Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic (3,430). And after winning their first title of the season — earning a trophy for the 18th consecutive year — who is to say the most successful tandem in history doesn’t have another run in them?

“I’m really proud of the way we’re playing, how we’ve turned it around from a fairly rough last year,” Bob Bryan said. “We’re building every week. I feel like we’re gaining momentum and I’m very optimistic heading into the clay-court season.”

It was a fitting sendoff for Crandon Park, as the Miami Open presented by Itau bade farewell to its longtime home on Sunday with a thrilling finale.

A captivating championship saw John Isner rally past Alexander Zverev 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-4 for the title, adding a historic first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown to his trophy case. The American and the German wrote one last chapter in Key Biscayne, battling for two and a half hours in humid conditions.

At 32 years, 11 months, Isner is the oldest first-time winner at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 level. In fact, only two other players (Agassi, Federer) older than Isner have won a Masters 1000 title. The big-hitting American overturned an 0-3 record in finals at the elite level, having previously finished runner-up to Roger Federer at Indian Wells 2012, to Rafael Nadal at Cincinnati 2013 and to Andy Murray at Paris 2016.

“To win like that in front of a crowd like that, with that atmosphere, you can’t replicate moments like that,” said Isner. “It was absolutely amazing.

“This tournament has so much history. All the best players have played here thought the years. For Sascha and I to share the court in the last men’s singles match ever here at this tournament is amazing. I never thought I would be in this moment considering how I was playing coming into this event.”

Isner’s triumph has significant ATP Rankings implications as well, with the North Carolina native moving up eight spots to match his career-high of No. 9. The 32-year-old, who adds 1,000 ATP Rankings points and $1,340,860 in prize money, has retaken No. 1 American mantle after relinquishing it last year.

Isner entered the final having earned 37 consecutive service holds, facing just one break point in that span. And the American looked to be the stronger of the two competitors in the early stages, moving swiftly around the court and firing his forehand with aplomb. 

Zverev started slow, striking a double fault to give Isner two break points in his opening service game. As he has done throughout the week, an aggressive Isner pounced on second serve returns and the American would jump on a short delivery to earn a third opportunity. But Zverev did well to turn aside all three break chances, as well as another two at 3-2.

With football legend David Beckham in attendance, the first set would be decided by a tie-break, where both players battled bouts of nerves. The lead vacillated from one side to the other, before Zverev reeled off four straight points to put a clamp on the opener after exactly one hour.

Singles & Doubles Masters 1000 Titles In the Same Year (since 2000)

Beginning to labour with the oppressive conditions and under the pressure of Zverev’s exceptional return game, Isner began to conserve energy in the second set. It would pay dividends. With Zverev serving at 4-all, a bevy of deep forehands from Isner’s racquet would force Zverev into striking multiple errors. And the American would close out the set after saving a pair of break points in the next game. Imploring the crowd to get behind him, he would force a decider in dramatic fashion.

Isner continued to ratchet up the pressure in the third set and despite failing to convert on four break points – including a 0/40 look – at 2-all, he would not disappoint with the match on the line. The American claimed his second break of the championship for 5-4 and closed out the title in the next game, firing his 18th ace to emerge victorious. In total, he launched 44 winners and dominated the rallies under five points throughout the final (73-58). 

“It’s incredible,” Isner added. “I mean, to come back after a pretty disappointing first set, a first set I had certainly some chances in and some break points. I was serving at 4/3 in the tie-break and lost four straight points. At that point I was actually exhausted. Somewhere along in the second set I found a second wind and I felt so much better in the second set and the third set than I did in the first.”

Isner finally cracked Zverev’s stranglehold on their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, claiming his first win in four encounters. All four meetings have come at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 stage.  Moreover, Isner is the first American to win in Miami since Andy Roddick in 2010 and the first player ranked outside the Top 10 to lift the trophy since 1991, when World No. 18 Jim Courier prevailed.

Isner kicked his high-powered game to new heights throughout the fortnight, dropping just one set en route to the title. Behind a confident array of net approaches and masterful court coverage, he notched convincing victories over fellow seeds Marin Cilic, Hyeon Chung and Juan Martin del Potro, leading into Sunday’s triumph. It marks the first time he has beaten a pair of Top 5 players in a single tournament.

In total, Isner adds a 13th tour-level crown and first of the year. With Del Potro winning in Indian Wells, it marks the first time since 2003 that two non-Europeans have swept the March Masters. That year, Lleyton Hewitt and Andre Agassi split the honours.

Zverev caps a strong week that saw him drop just one set entering the final, with impressive wins over Nick Kyrgios, Borna Coric and Pablo Carreno Busta. He was seeking his third ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown, following victories in Rome and Montreal last year. The German, who was competing in his 10th tour-level final, is now 6-4 in title matches and remains in search of his first trophy of 2018.

“I think I missed more shots today than I did the whole tournament,” said Zverev. “I played bad from the baseline. But, it’s not easy against John, because you always feel the pressure that if you get broken you’re not going to win the set. That’s maybe a factor, but I had a lot of mistakes today that I didn’t do the whole week.

“But he played great. He played very well from the baseline and he returned very well. Obviously there’s his serve, but we don’t need to talk about the serve. I had a pretty good tactic and a gameplan, which, if you just miss, it doesn’t matter. It was not about that. It was more about me not finding a rhythm.” 

DID YOU KNOW?
John Isner’s fortnight in Miami was as improbable as it was impressive. The American came into the Miami Open presented by Itau with only two tour-level match wins to his name in 2018. He owned a 2-6 record, with opening-round defeats in Auckland, the Australian Open, New York, Acapulco and Indian Wells.