"With his serve, forehand and new positivity he could do very well on the clay. He is not going to win the tournaments but nobody is going to want to play him."
Monday 2 April 2018 14:07, UK
John Isner will be a player the world's best want to avoid during the clay court season, says Greg Rusedski.
The 32-year-old captured his maiden Masters 1000 title with a 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 6-4 victory against Alexander Zverev at Crandon Park.
Isner, who arrived in Florida with only two victories from the opening months of the season, discovered his best tennis and backed up his impressive semi-final success against Indian Wells champion Juan Martin del Potro with a determined performance against the German fourth seed.
Attention turns to the clay courts with the Monte-Carlo Masters, live on Sky Sports, the first stop and Rusedski believes the giant American, who had lost in his previous three Masters 1000 finals, can enjoy a strong campaign on the red dirt.
"He actually plays very well on the clay courts. In the Davis Cup he has beaten Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. In the first round of the French Open [in 2011] he was two sets to one up against Rafael Nadal, even though he went on to lose in five sets," Rusedski told Sky Sports.
He has just won his biggest tournament and that is the biggest tennis moment of his career so far
"Don't be surprised if John Isner has a few quarter-finals in these upcoming events. With his serve, forehand and new positivity he could do very well on the clay.
"He is not going to win the tournaments but nobody is going to want to play him. It is magnificent what he has accomplished and [hopefully] he can continue the momentum."
The final was an edgy affair as both players struggled for consistency but Isner's greater power on serve along with his ability to fire powerful groundstrokes proved crucial in the final set, as Zverev eventually wilted under the pressure.
"Why not keep going. He has just won his biggest tournament and that is the biggest tennis moment of his career so far," Rusedski added.
"He was absolutely brilliant this week. He was nervous in the final this week but found a way to get the job done. It is always nervous when you are trying to win your first Masters 1000 title."
Fellow Sky Sports analyst Annabel Croft also believes the American has the game to challenge the very best and describes his run to the title as the "perfect" week.
"When he plays the way that he knows he can and with the weapons he brings out onto court he believes he can beat anybody. It has been a perfect week and you couldn't wish it for a nicer guy," Croft said.
"He has been out on the tour for a number of years now, has put in the work rate and maximised everything. It has all come together for him this week."
You can watch repeats of the ATP Miami Open final throughout the day on Monday and we'll be back for more tennis on Monday, April 16 for the start of the ATP Monte Carlo Rolex Masters with coverage underway from 9.30am on Sky Sports Arena.
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