Isner adds spice to draw; ranking the fastest men

After taking the first set Saturday, John Isner was dispatched by Roger Federer. AP

MAILBAG Jon Wertheim will answer questions from SI.com users in his mailbag every Wednesday. Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

Is John Isner good for tennis? I remember when Mark Philippoussis came around and he had the huge serve but he also had bombs on his forehand. Isner, in my opinion, only has a serve. If you look at his last 10 matches or so, there are a lot of sets that were won at 7-6 indicating that this guy can only hold serve and that is it. What are your thoughts on the rest of his game?
-- Mark, Ottawa

I think tennis -- and this goes for the women, too -- is really at a nice place in regard to this topic. If the top ranks are filled by hard-serving behemoths, we're in trouble. But that's not the case. Compare Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Isner and Donald Young and you're talking four totally different body types and, thus, games. Speaks well of tennis that it can accommodate them all. Not unlike Ivo Karlovic, he's a wild card capable of serving his way to wins, and even taking sets off of Federer. (He's also capable of losing the NCAA finals because the rest of his game isn't nearly as remarkable.) Do I want to see a tour full of Isners? No. Is he a fun player to add spice to the draw? Absolutely.

In a lot of ways, he's like Young. On talent alone, Young is a top-50 player. On serve alone, Isner, too, will always be a main-draw guy. The question is whether he'll improve his fitness, his movement, his depth from the backcourt, etc. and take the proverbial next step. His deficiencies aren't hard to spot. But if he keeps progressing at this rate, he'll be a formidable player.

I recently overheard French and German tennis fans complaining about how the U.S. Open gives favoritism to U.S. players by giving them night session schedules and how Blake had back-to-back matches out of the hot sun. I thought it made sense but then I remembered how Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi had stated several times over the course of different years that playing under the lights was more difficult not just because of 'seeing the ball' but because it required preparing out of the ordinary for a late night match. How do players get selected for night matches and is there favoritism in your opinion?
-- Stelio Savante, Los Angeles, Calif.

The scheduling is largely about television. Federer often requests to play during the day because it means that European viewers can watch him. If he takes the court at 9 p.m. in New York, this isn't the case. No conspiracy here.

Who is the fastest guy on the tour? The announcers point out how fast James Blake is but I'm wondering, since there are so many matches we don't see throughout the year, who is the fastest alongside Blake?
-- Sarah, Milwaukee, Wisc.

This is always tricky because raw foot speed is only part of the equation. James Blake beats, say Andy Murray in the 40, but Murray might get to just as many balls because he anticipates so well. In terms of wheels, I'd say the five fastest guys are Blake, Donald Young, Nadal, Federer, and maybe still Guillermo Coria (remember him?). Sebastien Grosjean and Lleyton Hewitt can locomote though each has lost a step. Feels like I'm forgetting someone. I remember Agassi once saying that fastest guy in tennis was Bjorn Phau, though I don't think I've ever seen the guy play.

While watching Novak Djokovic win his five-set classic Friday, I wondered: Has anybody come up with the Djokovic Drinking Game (responsible adults only)? Take a drink everytime he bounces the ball at or above his average. By the way, any stats on the average?
-- D. Wright, Arlington, Virg.

I believe the unofficial record is 26. But we're putting Sharko on the case.

Why have we not seen more female coaches? No offense to Brad Gilbert (he's a lot more qualified to coach than Yuri), but wouldn't someone who has actually won a Grand Slam event (such as Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert or Billie Jean King) be able to provide more "championship wisdom" and therefore be a more desirable coach?
-- Mike Allen, Fresno, Calif.

Comes up a lot. The conventional wisdom is that coaches double as hitting partners and there are no women who could give the men an adequate hit. (Mirka, notwithstanding.) Also, this is largely why you see so many male coaches on the WTA Tour.

This question begs to be answered: Would Isner have a better chance vs. The Fed if it had been a night match? I recall Bjorn Borg (the best returner ever) being annihilated by Roscoe Tanner in a U.S. Open night match. No thanks to Jimmy Connors who decided to move his match earlier which forced a Borg-Tanner evening match.
-- Ojoc, Manila, Philippines

Night sessions tend to benefit big servers, as it's often harder for returners to pick up the ball. They also benefit the less-conditioned players, as the heat and humidity tend to be non-factors. Based on that, yes, Isner presumably would have benefited.

What gives with Richard Gasquet? His withdrawal for a sore throat is a stark contrast to Nadal toughing it out with bum knees. After Wimby, I thought Gasquet might be for real.
-- Troy Quast, The Woodlands, Texas

While it is hard to envision certain players (Nadal, for instance) withdrawing from a Grand Slam -- especially when pitted against a wild card -- on account of illness without even going on the court, I think you generally have to give the athletes the benefit of the doubt. Have to believe the Gasquet wanted to play.

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