Isner now draws plenty of attention

Five months ago, tennis pro John Isner of Tampa could have walked among the throngs at Daytona and not drawn much attention.

Even after beating Andy Roddick in last year's U.S. Open, and even being instantly recognizable at 6-foot-10, Isner wasn't that famous.

That was before his epic 11-hour, five-minute match June 22-24 at Wimbledon.

Isner, 25, beat France's Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (3), 70-68 in a first-round ultra-marathon that set records for longest in history, most games in a match (183), most games in a set (138, fifth) and aces (112 by Isner, 103 by Mahut).

Saturday, Isner drew attention wherever he went before the Coke Zero 400. He signed hats and shirts, took photos with fans and played pingpong with Matt Kenseth and Kyle Petty in a promotion for Jeremiah Weed Sweet Tea Vodka.

Isner, who trains at Saddlebrook Resort, said his life has been a whirlwind for a week-and-a-half. He threw out a first pitch at Yankee Stadium, appeared on ABC's "Good Morning America" and gave the Top 10 list on the "Late Show with David Letterman."

The top two "thoughts that went through my mind" during the three-day match:

"Honestly, I don't care if I win or lose - I just don't want to die," and, "Larry King has had marriages that didn't last this long."

"It's crazy," Isner said inside an air-conditioned motor coach Saturday. "It's gotten my face out there a little more. I think people outside of the tennis world now know who I am. I wouldn't trade it for anything."

Easily, Isner said, his most interesting experience since Wimbledon was mingling with the Yankees players before throwing out the first pitch Tuesday.

"They're all telling me they were watching my match," he said. "It was kind of cool to hear Derek Jeter say he was in front of his TV for four hours watching me play."

That Isner lost his second-round match to Thiemo de Bakker of the Netherlands in 74 minutes takes nothing away from his extraordinary athletic achievement in the first-round match.

Isner spoke of nutrition, conditioning and weight training, although the only thing that sounded out of the ordinary was the coconut water he drinks for potassium, magnesium and sodium.

"That came from my mom a few years ago," he said. "She knows about stuff like that and recommended it because I was having problems cramping. Ever since I started drinking it, I haven't cramped yet. It sounds a little gimmicky, but that's the honest truth."

Isner is a prankster. His coach at Saddlebrook, Craig Boynton, is a favorite target. One of Isner's favorite practical jokes is to pull the credential off Boynton's bag at tournaments so he gets stopped by security.

But Isner credited his work at Saddlebrook for allowing him to become the second-highest ranked American on the men's tour behind Roddick.

"Yeah, I put in a lot of work there," Isner said. "I practice countless hours with C.B. (Boynton), and I'm in the gym with my trainer, Kyle Morgan. He's the guy I've been working with the last two years, primarily.

"So I think the combination of work I've done with my coach and Kyle has gotten me well equipped for the rigors of the tour. I think that last match proved I'm in pretty good shape."