Past winner Isner keen to return to ASB Classic
WELLINGTON: Twotime winner and world No 10 John Isner, of the United States, will return to compete in next year’s ASB Classic in Auckland.
Isner, who had a careerbest ranking of eight in the world earlier this year, won his first ATP Masters title in Miami, beating three top10 players on the way to the victory.
He also reached the semifinals of Wimbledon, losing a sixhour battle to eventual runnerup Kevin Anderson.
The 2mplus Isner also reached the quarterfinals of the US Open.
He is considered to have the biggest serve in the game, and sits in second place for most aces ever served in ATP tour history with 10,757.
Auckland has been a happy hunting ground for Isner; he has won two titles (2010 and 2014), and is looking forward to returning.
‘‘I love playing in Auckland. It’s such a great place to play, the crowds are awesome and it’s one of the best stops on the tour. It’s where I won my first ATP title, and I’m looking forward to playing there again in 2019.’’
ASB Classic Tournament director Karl Budge was happy to have the bighitting American returning to Auckland in January.
‘‘He obviously loves playing here and we’re happy about that. He has been one of the best players on tour this season. He has had some huge top10 wins and his Masters 1000 title was welldeserved for a guy that has achieved as much on tour as John has,’’ Budge said.
Isner is the first announcement of the men’s field.
The ASB Classic runs for two weeks. The women’s tournament will run from December 31 to January 6, followed by the men’s from January 7 to 12. — RNZ