JOHN ISNER is accustomed to being the tallest player on tour but he certainly wasn’t as big a hit as Gael Monfils this time.
Showcasing the artistry and acrobatics that has made him a fan favourite the world over, the fun-loving Frenchman provided the perfect cap to the Tennis Pon De Rock exhibition series during his entertaining singles encounter with Isner at the Wildey Gym on Sunday.
It was just one antic after another for the fun-loving Monfils, who regularly engaged his fans in humorous banter, broke down into dance routines and even playfully tried to challenge the chair umpire’s call on his serve.
This was after main drawing card Venus Williams had already thrilled a crowd of 3 000 strong despite going down in straight sets to world no.3 Victoria Azarenka in a shot-filled singles exhibition.
But their display on Monfils’ routine, which also included a series of between-the-legs shots and amazing “gets” on what appeared to be unreachable drop-shots.
Ever the entertainer, the showman even sent out ball boy Lucas Gosselin to play Isner for two of his games in the light-hearted second set, before rotating in two more of Gosselin’s buddies toward the end of the set.
And the witty nine year-old actually managed to hold serve, with Isner more than buying in on the theatrics by loudly exaggerating his grunts of each groundstroke.
“It really didn’t go well because I definitely couldn’t beat Gael or the kid that was half my size,” joked the towering six-foot-ten American about the exhibition.
“Seriously though, it was great, especially to see so many people come out to watch us. It is a lot of fun for us players to be able to entertain crowds like this.”
And nothing was more enjoyable to see Monfils actually try to win the second set with a slipper after he disposed of his racquet for two straight points.
But the Frenchman wasn’t all fun and games.
Especially not in the first set when he was making light work of Isner’s serve, hitting blistering returns off either side, often to the American’s amazement.
At one point, the once fast-approaching Isner could only stand motionless following a singeing Monfils backhand return down the line.
It was the tale of a shot-filled first set that lasted just a tick over 20 minutes as the world No.16 ripped winners from all over the court, chased down unreachable balls and showcased a booming first serve for a 6-2 margin.
Isner too briefly showcased some heavy artillery, though not on his trademark big serve, which was far from its dominant best. He did bring the heat on a couple of lusty forehand returns, even if Monfils was often up to the task of producing catlike half-volleys and stunning “gets” from the baseline.
“It was great to play like that and it was such a good experience to get in this game,” said Monfils of singles match that he eventually won 6-2, 6-2.
“The crowd was so appreciative and it felt good to have them cheer us on like that.”
Earlier, local champ Julian “Michael Jackson” White treated the patrons to a display of top-class road tennis when he managed to survive former king Sylvin “Llama” Barnett 21-18 in a one-set exhibition.
