Wimbledon 2022: John Isner vs Andy Murray preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (20) John Isner vs Andy Murray.
Date: June 29, 2022.
Tournament: Wimbledon 2022.
Round: Second round (Round of 64).
Venue: London, United Kingdom.
Category: Grand Slam.
Surface: Grass.
Prize money: £40,350,000.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | Canada - TSN | UK - BBC & Eurosport | India - Star Sports & Disney+ Hotstar app.
John Isner vs Andy Murray preview
World No. 24 John Isner will take on three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray in the second round of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships on Wednesday.
Following a third-round loss at the French Open, Isner didn't compete in any tournaments prior to Wimbledon. The American was up against qualifier Enzo Couacaud in the first round and was thoroughly tested.
Neither player got a whiff of a break point in the opening set, which was eventually won by Couacaud in the tie-break. The second set played out in similar fashion, with Isner coming out on top in the tie-break this time.
Both players had break point opportunities early on in the third set, but couldn't capitalize on them. Couacaud secured the first break of the match to go 3-2 up and held on to that lead to clinch the set. With the possibility of a first-round exit staring him in the face, Isner stepped up his game.
The American managed to break his opponent's serve in the sixth game of the fourth set, which proved to be enough for him to win it. The deciding set was fairly balanced, with a slip-up by Couacaud towards the end sealing the match in his opponent's favor.
Isner got the pivotal break in the 11th game of the set and closed out the match with ease to win 6-7(6), 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.
Murray started his grass season on a strong note by reaching the final in Stuttgart, but injured himself during the contest. His participation at Wimbledon was in doubt, but the former World No. 1 recovered in the nick of time. He took on James Duckworth in the first round.
Murray fell behind early on in the opening set, but immediately leveled the score. Duckworth went up a break in the ninth game of the set and then served it out comfortably. With the score tied at 2-2 in the second set, the Brit won three games in a row to lead 5-2 and won the set soon after.
Centre Court erupts as @andy_murray books his place in the second round
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Murray was even more dominant in the third set, racing to a 5-1 lead, which proved too much for Duckworth to surmount. A solitary break of serve towards the end of the fourth set was enough for the two-time Wimbledon champion to seal the match 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.
John Isner vs Andy Murray head-to-head
The pair have faced off eight times before, with Murray having a perfect 8-0 record in his favor. He won their previous encounter at the 2016 Paris Masters in three sets.
John Isner vs Andy Murray odds
(All odds are sourced from BetMGM)
John Isner vs Andy Murray prediction
Isner's serve is a huge asset for him. He hammered a whopping 54 aces in his first-round match against Couacaud. However, Murray certainly knows how to neutralize that advantage, as evidenced by their one-sided head-to-head.
The former World No. 1 has a well-rounded game. He will aim to move Isner around the court to exploit his relatively poor movement and hit plenty of slices and low balls to make things more difficult for the tall American.
However, if Murray doesn't put his best foot forward during return games, it'll be difficult for him to stop Isner. Both players have had their career-best results at Wimbledon and are difficult to beat here.
Murray looked sharper than Isner in their respective first-round matches and with the home crowd firmly in his corner, he's likely to continue his quest for a third title at Wimbledon.
Pick: Andy Murray to win in four sets.