Despite Injuries, John Isner Will Play In U.S. Open

Here's some good news: American John Isner, who's been battling injuries since his epic five-set victory over Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon, will reportedly play in the U.S. Open. The 18th-seeded Isner is set to take on Portugal's Frederico Gil in the first round. Gerald Witt of The Greensboro (N.C.) News & Record has the story:

The world's 20th ranked player on the ATP World Tour has been healing the right ankle he sprained in Cincinnati on Aug. 18.

"It's still lingering," Isner, a Page graduate, said. "For the first couple of days after I did it, I was bedridden."

On Thursday, he decided to play the Grand Slam event..

"I'm gonna be well-rested, but I'm not going to be sharp," he said Friday on a phone call from his Tampa home. "I haven't hit a ball in 10 days."

Playing the longest match ever -- it ended at 70-68 in the fifth -- took a toll on the 6-foot-9 Isner.

The ankle injury wasn't the only disruption in Isner's summer. An 11-hour first round match he won at Wimbledon — the longest ever played on the tour — brought unexpected attention.

"Every day since my match I've had to answer some kind of question about it," he said.

And it's beginning to get tiresome.

"Going forward, the focus is also trying to get away from that," Isner said.