Isner surprises in Miami Open

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. — John Isner punctuated his unexpected run to the Miami Open men’s singles title with a surprising display of agility, dancing across the court while basking in a breakthrough.

The 6-foot-10 Isner looked twice as tall skipping about with a grin brighter than the Florida sunshine. The former University of Georgia star had just taken the biggest title of his 14-year professional career, holding every service game and rallying past Alexander Zverev to win 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday.

Isner, who turns 33 this month, previously had been 0-3 in ATP Masters 1000 finals.

“You can’t replicate moments like this,” Isner said during the trophy ceremony. “I’m toward the latter part of my career; this is the best moment of my career.”

Isner’s win came in the last singles match on Key Biscayne before the Miami Open moves next year to Miami Gardens’ Hard Rock Stadium, where the NFL’s Miami Dolphins play their home games.

Seeded 14th, Isner became the first American man to win the tournament since Andy Roddick in 2010. Isner joined Sloane Stephens, who won the women’s title Saturday, for the first U.S. sweep of the singles titles at the tournament since 2004, when Roddick and Serena Williams were the winners.

The start of the last game was delayed by the crowd’s chants of “U-S-A!” Isner then held at love, and on the final three points he smacked aces, giving him 18 for the match and 79 for the tournament.

“I was just ready for this moment,” he said. “I’ve been here three other times, and I’ve lost three times on this stage. I was just ready for it.”

Isner is best known as the marathon man of tennis thanks to his 70-68 fifth-set victory over Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon in 2010. He possesses perhaps the game’s biggest serve but has never reached a Grand Slam semifinal, largely because a lack of mobility makes it difficult for him to stay in rallies.