John Isner has the best serve on tour and is the best tiebreak player in the world, and he translates that into match and tournament wins. Isner has taken his game to the top 10. Even though he’s not constantly up there, he has been inside the top 30 since 2011.

Isner has had opportunities over the years to tweak his game. High-bouncing clay would seem to suit his body and style of play well. He can put that together in big occasions, having defeated Roger Federer on the surface and having pushed both Rafae Nadal and Novak Djokovic to five sets on it.

Isner steadfastly refuses to change what he does, though. He plays his game for better or for worse. And, seeing that he is in the top 10 and has reached semifinals or better at two of the last four Masters tournaments, we can’t really fault him for it. When his movement is there and he is forcing opponents to work through their service games, he is very tough for anyone to beat.

The one critique we can say of Isner is that his results outside the United States are quite lackluster. He has reached 17 finals in his career (with an 8-9 record), but 14 of those have been in his home country. He admittedly did well in Auckland this year before injury cut his trip to Melbourne short.

If Isner is accepting who he is, then that is something he has to acknowledge. He has recognized it in press before. But it has to be more than just realizing that he has a mental block against playing well away from home. He has to use his confidence in the States to get the best results he can while he is here.

Last week, Isner outplayed just about everyone in the world to reach the semifinals in Indian Wells. His serve was unstoppable. His return game was solid and frustrated his opponents. He was unflappable in tiebreaks. It was John Isner tennis played to perfection.

That is what a confident Isner can do. The only issue is that Isner really only ever seems confident when playing in the States. That is fine for now, though, as Isner has a favorable draw in the Miami Masters tournament in Key Biscayne. Anything less than the fourth round will be a disappointment, and with the way Berdych has started this year, Isner really should be looking to reach at least the quarterfinals.

Once this tournament is over and Isner has to leave the States, though, that is what will define his season. He can try to carry whatever momentum he builds in Miami, and on clay in the upcoming Houston tournament,  into the European clay season with him. He still has the game and the talent to beat anyone on the dirt. But for Isner, it all comes from being confident. And that confidence can only come overseas if he does well enough in the States to begin with.

(Photo: Maria Noble for Tennis View Magazine)