John Isner retires after losing 5-set match against fellow American Michael Mmoh at US Open
NEW YORK — Two familiar names were bounced from the US Open and one of them is done forever with singles.
John Isner, the hard-serving American, retired from singles tennis after losing Thursday afternoon to Michael Mmoh on Grandstand, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4, 7-6 (10).
It was, in some ways, a fitting ending for Isner — a 5-set tiebreak defined by aces and few breaks. But he also blew a golden opportunity after winning the opening two sets, failing to advance past the second round at Flushing for a fourth straight year. At 38 years old, Isner, a two-time quarterfinalist at the US Open, previously announced this as his final tournament.
He continued to play doubles, however, and lost his match with partner Jack Sock on Thursday evening.
“It’s tough,” Isner, who owns the record for most aces in a career, said while fighting tears directly following his last singles match. “I like to think I work as hard as I can.”
Mmoh, 25, will advance to his first Open fourth round if he beats Britain’s Jack Draper on Saturday.
Not long before Isner’s final match, Andy Murray, the former Open champion, was eliminated in straight sets by 19th-seeded Bulgarian Grigor Dmitrov, 6-3, 6-4, 6-1.
It was the latest bummer for Murray, 36, who dealt with injuries and hasn’t advanced to a major quarterfinal since 2017.
“It’s obviously disappointing to not play how you would like,” Murray said. “Maybe I need to accept that these events, where I had the deep runs and everything that I felt like I’m capable of, that might not be there.
“I’m aware of what I’m doing. It’s unbelievably challenging to play at the highest level as I am now. Some days it’s harder than others. But today is obviously a really disappointing defeat and probably the manner of it as well. I fought hard enough, but I didn’t play well enough.”
Murray said he’ll continue to play with a chance of representing Great Britain for the Davis Cup. He acknowledged that his career won’t last a regression, however.
“I still enjoy everything that goes into playing at a high level,” said Murray, who twice won Wimbledon. “I enjoy the work. The training and trying to improve and trying to get better, I do still enjoy that. And that’s what keeps me going. If things change and I stop enjoying that or my results and ranking starts to go backwards . …things might change.”
A house divided
It was tale of two parents.
Elina Svitolina, who gave birth to her daughter last year, survived a scare in the second round with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
The Ukrainian, a three-time Grand Slam semifinalist, next faces the winner of Patricia Tig and third-seeded Jessica Pegula.
Next door to Svitolina’s Thursday match, her husband, Frenchman Gael Monfils, succumbed to Andrey Rublev, 6-4, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.
