Isner shocks Federer in Davis Cup; US leads 2-0

FRIBOURG, Switzerland — John Isner shocked Roger Federer 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-2 on an indoor clay court, giving the United States a 2-0 lead against Switzerland in their Davis Cup first-round series on Friday.

Isner's big serve backed and booming ground strokes challenged the Swiss star in long rallies.

“I thought he played great,” Federer said. “He played it tough and served great when he had to. I just missed a couple more opportunities than he did and that's what cost me the match.”

The upset was preceded by a thrilling opening singles match, with Mardy Fish outlasting Stanislas Wawrinka 6-2, 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 9-7.

The U.S. can eliminate Switzerland in doubles in the best-of-five series Saturday. Mike Bryan and teenager Ryan Harrison will face Federer and Wawrinka, the 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medalists.

Seven other first-round series in the top tier of Davis Cup were contested Friday. Croatia and Japan were tied 1-1; Serbia led Sweden 2-0; Austria led Russia 2-0 and Argentina led Germany 2-0. The other matchups are: Spain vs. Kazakhstan, Canada vs. France and Czech Republic vs. Italy.

A partisan crowd of 7,000 at the Fribourg Forum was stunned into silence by Federer's first loss in Davis Cup singles in eight years.

Federer had started in routine fashion, winning the first set without dropping serve. Isner broke Federer's serve in the sixth game of the second set, but failed to exert any pressure in the third.

Still, Federer couldn't take break point chances in the sixth and eighth games — winning just one of his 12 opportunities in the match — and the set drifted into a tiebreaker.

Isner never trailed and clinched on his first set point with a subtle volley at the net that gave Federer no chance to retrieve.

The fourth set turned on the fifth game when Isner rallied from 0-40 down with three big serves and two blistering forehand winners.

Federer never recovered. Isner reeled off four straight games, ending the match by rifling a backhand winner crosscourt.

“I thought John finished it well,” Federer said. “It's always a little bit easier to swing from the hip when you are a breakup and two sets to one.”

Isner had lost his two previous encounters with Federer, both on hard courts.

If 17th-ranked Isner needed any inspiration to take on Federer, he found it in Fish's earlier 4-hour, 26-minute victory — the third-longest Davis Cup singles match involving a U.S. player since 1989 when the competition brought in tiebreakers.

Fish found the strength to rally after wasting a match point at 5-4 in the decider, and clinched victory six games later with a crosscourt volley winner at the net.

“It's certainly up there, there's no doubt about it,” said Fish, when asked how it ranked among his best wins. “It's a good win to beat Stan, period. Clay is his best surface, his favorite surface and it's in his home country. I'll take that away, for sure.”

A 95-minute final set included wild shifts in momentum and emotion, before the eighth-ranked American improved his record to 3-0 against the 28th-ranked Wawrinka.

“He did everything to win,” Wawrinka said. “He played more aggressively in the fifth set.”