With another clay-court swing underway, it is inevitable that the punned phrase “seize the clay” will be used at some point by the media.  It is like an unofficial requirement of each season.  And yet while the phrase may be overused, in some cases it is quite appropriate.  Just such a case may have arisen in American hope, John Isner.

Isner is probably not a name many think of when considering players they expect to see perform well on the clay.  The American's results at the start of 2015 did not do anything to change this outlook either.  He only won a total of three matches in his first three events, but his Davis Cup outing against Great Britain earlier this year was the real disaster.  After leading by two sets to love, he ultimately fell to the unheralded James Ward 15-13 in the fifth set on the opening day of the tie.  By his own admission, this loss marked rock-bottom for Isner.  Rather than wallow in self-pity, however, he chose to take the view that there was nowhere to go but up.

It has not taken Isner long to get his game moving back up in the right direction either.  Aided by input from Justin Gimelstob, the newest member of his coaching team, he was able to put together a couple of nice showings in March.  He reached the fourth round at Indian Wells and the semifinals in Miami, losing competitive matches to eventual champion Novak Djokovic on both occasions.  Outside a blip on the dirt in Houston, Isner has only continued to build on those results.  He narrowly lost to Rafael Nadal in the round of 16 at Monte Carlo and has topped that performance with his run this week in Madrid.  The question is whether he can continue to build on this momentum.

Logically, there is no reason that Isner should not continue to enjoy good fortune on the clay.  The slower surface may blunt his major weapon, but Isner is still going to hit more than his share of aces, making him an uncomfortable opponent for anyone on tour.  And while the slippery surface does not do anything to help his movement, it should also buy him a little more time for tracking down balls.  Additionally, for a man of his height, Isner has to love the way that the ball sits up on this surface.  The ball is often right in his wheelhouse, which should allow him to tee off on plenty of shots. Finally, Isner must feel more able to swing away freely, since there is likely less pressure on him during this time of year.  People expect him to produce solid results on the faster hard courts and grass, but expectations are lower on the dirt.  Players and fans would be wise not to underestimate him, however, since there is no question that he has the tools necessary for success on any surface.

From where Isner is sitting, his 2015 clay season has already been successful.  But that does not mean he is ready to coast by any means.  He will be keen to piece together deep runs in Rome and Roland Garros once he is done in Madrid, and with the way he is playing right now, that might just happen.  And though Isner will be taking things week by week, what has and may yet transpire throughout this clay-court swing could have positive ramifications for the American down the road.  After all, if he is feeling confident and starts firing on all cylinders on his least-favorite surface, how much more effective and devastating might he be on the hard courts or grass?  Only time will tell of course, but no doubt Isner and his fans are apt to already be anxiously looking forward to summer.