ATP US Open Quarterfinal Preview: Andy Murray vs. John Isner

British tennis hope Andy Murray will square off against John Isner of USA in a quarterfinal clash of the 2011 US Open. Both contenders have been playing some great tennis at the moment and we can expect an enthralling battle between these two.

Besides proving his potential as a fitting threat to devastating trio of Djokovic, Nadal and Federer, World No. 4 Andy Murray has been also vying in the 2011 US Open to become Britain's first grand slam champ since Fred Perry brought home the glory way back in 1936 by winning the U.S. Open. He next faces the lanky American and World No. 22 John Isner, who can dazzle anyone on court with his probing serve and exquisite forehand drives. Both contenders will take on each other to secure their berth in the semi-final of the 2011 US Open and we can expect all the action, drama and thrills.

This will be a second-meeting between these two, when they will take on each other in the US Open quarterfinals on Friday. Their only previous encounter came in the fourth round of the 2010 Australian Open, where Murray prevailed in straight sets with a 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-2 scoreline. Well, things have changed a lot since then, as Isner has evolved into a good player, who can be steady and patient with his game but precise and swift in executing shots.

Murray has been living up to the expectations of his fans these days, but the year 2011 has been remained full of ups and downs for the Scot. Though the Scot lost a few first-round clashes, he still carries a commendable 38-10 win-loss record on tour for the season. After his Aussie Open final loss earlier this year, Murray took a brief break from tennis and consequently hit a low form. But, the Scot did well in the European clay-court swing, as he reached the semis at Monte-Carlo and then became the first man since Henman to reach the semis at Roland Garros. The Scot played well at the Championships and made it to his third consecutive Wimbledon semi-finals before vowing out to Rafael Nadal. In the US Open Series, the Scot returned to action in Montreal, but lost in the second-round. Then, he surprised many, by rebounding brilliantly as he clinched the Cincinnati Masters title to reaffirm his position in the world of tennis. Seeded fourth in the US Open 2011, Murray earned his berth in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2008 after victories over Somdev Devvarman, Robin Haase, Feliciano Lopez, and Donald Young.

On the other hand, this is a great opportunity for lanky American John Isner to get rid of his image of being a few matches wonder. The American surprised many by reaching the quarter-final at 2009 Aussie Open, but could not continue in the same manner and often earned the ire of his fans and critics of being too complacent on court. But, the way this American has been playing at the moment, we can say that he has been carrying tremendous momentum. The world No. 22 has a good 32-18 win-loss record this season and has won 16 of 20 matches on hard courts this summer. Isner won a title on the grass courts at Newport then finished as a runner-up in Atlanta before clinching the title in Winston-Salem. The American has beaten Marcos Baghdatis, Robby Ginepri, Alex Bogomolov, and Gilles Simon at Flushing Meadows this year to come this far in the tournament.

We can expect some stunning tennis action, when these two will take on each other on Friday. Once again Isner will rely heavily on his probing serve, while Murray has a consummate range of shots. Isner also needs to make quick in-roads into the match to put some pressure on the Scot or it would be difficult for him as Murray is one of those players, who can quickly build upon a good start, but at the same time they do struggle against a bad start. Murray can be called favourite at the moment, but the way he has played this year so far, we cannot rule out an upset here.