Photo: Ron C. Angle
It was their third meeting this summer and it was the closest by far, with in-form American John Isner ending Marcos’ US Open campaign with a 7-6(2), 7-6(11), 2-6, 6-4 victory on Wednesday night in New York.
After his superb effort in front of an enthralled Louis Armstrong Stadium, Marcos told www.baghdatis.com, “The only thing I can say is that...I promise to all that people that I LOVE that I will keep working so hard and I know that one day we will celebrate and have the best emotions of our lives. That's all I can say at this moment...”
Neither player was able to engineer a break of serve in the first two sets, but it was the big-serving Isner who came out on top in the tie-breaks. Costly errors proved Marcos’ undoing in the first, but the second was a much tighter affair, opened with a flash of inspiration by Marcos as he guessed right on a powerful forehand by Isner to guide it back up the line for a winner.
Marcos went on to hold three set points at 6-5, 8-7, and 10-9, but each time was denied by 6’9’’ Isner’s huge second serve. The American was then presented with a fourth set point as Marcos hooked a backhand wide, and he converted with a forehand volley winner to take a commanding lead.
Marcos showed great resilience in the third set to put behind him the disappointment of the two tie-breaks and secure the first break of the match, whipping a forehand passing shot down the line to lead 2-0. Isner’s level dropped in the third set and the American paid the price for 16 unforced errors as Marcos then broke serve again in the eighth game to claw his way back into the match.
Isner’s dip in form did not last long, though, and he had Marcos under the cosh early in the fourth set. Marcos fended off break points in the first and third games, but could not keep the American’s advances at bay in the seventh game and lost his serve to love. The break proved to be decisive and Isner went on to blast through his final two service games, claiming victory in three hours and 12 minutes.
Marcos will now have some time away from the court, returning on 19 September for the Open de Moselle in Metz.
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