American tennis fans would be forgiven for having feelings of déjà vu as home hopes again struggled in the first round of the Delray Beach Open. A win for top-ranked American man John Isner in the first round would have brightened the mood of fans.  But this small Florida tournament has not much boosted hopes that American tennis is finally back on the rise. For the second consecutive year, less than half of the American entrants in the main draw reached the second round, placing serious questions on the younger generation of American players and the direction of more experienced players such as Sam Querrey.

Entering the tournament as the second seed after an interrupted start to 2014, top-ranked American John Isner was remarkably the only seeded home hope in the main draw. This meant that the rest of the Americans faced tough match-ups in the first round, three of them facing seeded players. After disappointing losses by a handful of disappointing losses by those players, eyes turned up to the 6’10” John Isner when he took on American journeyman Michael Russell.

In his first appearance in over a month, Isner appeared rusty as he showed some effect from the foot injury that forced him to retire from the Australian Open in January. His lackadaisical start was welcomed with open arms by Russell, who drew Isner side to side and attempted to turn his height advantage against him. The 35-year-old veteran’s game plan appeared to work wonders as Isner struggled with rhythm and movement. Taking nothing away from his fellow countryman, Russell was consistent and accurate and looked to take advantage of an opponent who was visibly out of sorts.

It was arguably Isner’s serve that kept him in the match as he struck 20 aces.  Many of them came at crucial moments for the 28-year-old, who prevailed in the second-set tiebreak to send the match to a decider. Isner seemed to take confidence from winning the second set and looked more comfortable on court, finding his timing and using his size to a huge advantage. After another tight tussle in the third set, Isner’s class shone through as he seized the match to set up a second-round battle with Israeli Dudi Sela.

Of all the Americans who lost in the first round of Delray Beach, the player who might feel the most disappointed is American No. 2 Sam Querrey, who lost to Feliciano Lopez after winning the first set. Querrey often seemed in control throughout the match, but his confidence in his strokes wavered as soon as the tide looked to have turned against him.  The 26-year-old from Southern California appeared to crumble mentally late in the match, handing points and games to the Spaniard at will.

Since registering a respectable result at the 2014 Australian Open, Querrey’s results have reflected a player who isn’t happy on court. His results have also reflected a player who lacks a lot of self-confidence and the belief that he can compete with higher-ranked opponents. His loss against Lopez was the fifth time in 2014 that he’d lost a match in which he’d won the first set. And one has to wonder, after repeated performances when Querrey has self-destructed after holding winning positions, whether he is capable of sustaining a rank inside the top 100 in 2014.  He may even have to question the direction of his career.

On a positive note, Rhyne Williams is maturing into an exceptional player with the potential to be one of the next American stars. Before his first-round opponent Alejandro Falla was forced to retire on the cusp of defeat, Williams was superb in using his aggressive all-court play to outmuscle and outlast Falla,  certainly no easy prey.

Williams made headlines after advancing through qualifying to the main draw in Melbourne, where he won a set from Juan Martin del Potro. He will look to continue a fine 2014 at Delray Beach with an intriguing and winnable second-round match with Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis.  For American fans looking below the top two of Isner and Querrey, Rhyne Williams is a shining light on the Florida coast and an exciting prospect for not only American tennis fans but tennis fans around the world.

The second round also started with a bang as Steve Johnson claimed the biggest upset of the tournament so far, knocking out top seed Tommy Haas in three sets. Continuing the German’s rollercoaster start to 2014, Johnson’s all-court game proved too much as he prevailed 7-2 in the final-set tiebreak. In easily one of his career-best wins so far, Johnson chose the right moments to approach the net and was able to use his huge forehand to great effect. His shot selection during the rallies rushed the German into a large number of forced and unforced errors.

Johnson faces an uphill battle to reach his second quarterfinal of 2014, facing off against Spaniard Feliciano Lopez. But, considering the manner in which he defeated the tournament’s top seed, the task is certainly not beyond the 24-year-old, who should have gained a mountain of confidence after showcasing his skills against a top-20 player