Alejandro Falla has dispatched the United States’ greatest hope in the men’s draw at Wimbledon…
The 28-year-old Colombian tenista—currently ranked No. 73 in the world—came back from the brink of defeat to take down the top-ranked American John Isner in the first round of the grass tournament on Monday.
Isner, ranked No, 10 in the world, failed to convert a match point in the fourth set and lost to Falla by a final score of 6-4, 6-7 (7), 3-6, 7-6 (7), 7-5.
Isner— best known for winning the longest match in tennis history two years ago in the first round at the All England Club, when he edged Nicolas Mahut 70-68 in the fifth set—has been eliminated in five sets in each of the past three Grand Slams.
“I’m just really down on myself right now,” he said. “I’m trying not to feel the outside pressure. There are some good things expected of me, and I’m glad I’m in that position, but I’m just not performing right now. It’s just ugly right now.”
The 6-foot-9 Isner notched 31 aces and said he has been pleased with his serve, but not the rest of his game.
“Sometimes, and lately it has been happening quite a lot, I get out there in the match and I’m just so clouded,” he said. “I just can’t seem to figure things out. I’m my own worst enemy out there. It’s all mental for me, and it’s pretty poor on my part.”
Isner held a match point with Falla serving at 6-7 in the fourth set. The Colombian was on the ropes again serving at 5-all in the final set when he faced three break points, but Isner failed to convert them, then lost serve in the final game.
“I didn’t put my opponent away,” Isner said. “I had my chances, and I didn’t do it. It’s all on me.”
Meanwhile, this is Falla’s latest upset of a Top 10 player in a major tournament…
At the 2006 Wimbledon tournament, Falla upset 9th seed Nikolay Davydenko and at the 2007 Sony Ericsson Open he beat 9th seed Tommy Haas in straight sets.
Falla next faces Isner’s history-cohort Mahut in the second round.
