Analysis for Isner-Falla (ATP Paris)

Head-to-head record 1:0

American bomber John Isner will play Colombian Alejandro Falla in the first round at Paris. Isner is known for his booming serve which is attributed, at least in part, to his height. Commentators have also praised his composure during matches, as displayed during his five consecutive 3rd-set tiebreaker wins in Washington, which were marked by his ability to bring out huge serves when it mattered most. Additionally he is known to back up his huge serves with approaches to the net, though he does not strictly serve-and-volley. Isner has been compared to Croatian Ivo Karlovic. He has reached his career best results on US hard courts and so he should enjoy the fast conditions here. On the other hand, his latest results weren´t impressive. Since US Open, he has won just 3 matches out of 8. He is able to keep the matches close against the top players but on the other hand, he often loose to big underdogs. He has lost to players such as Ball, DeHeart or Kuznetsov this year and we don´t think he should be any favourite here. Colombian player Alejandro Falla is considered to be a classic clay courter. He grew up on clay but his appearances are deceptive - with his decent serve and agressive play from base line he was able to surprise many hardcourt specialists. He played well in quallies and we expect a tight match today. Falla has much bigger chance than odds are showing and anything above 2.1 is good for us.