TENNIS in DEPTH.

Novak Djokovic outlasted big John Isner in five sets on Sunday to lift Serbia past the United States and into the 2010 Davis Cup quarterfinals.

The Serbs wound up with a 3-2 victory in the best-of-five showdown at Belgrade Arena.

The world No. 2 Djokovic got everything he could handle from the 6-foot-9 Isner in the first reverse singles rubber, as the former Australian Open champion barely snuck out a 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (6-9), 6-4 decision on the Americans’ least-favorite surface, red clay. The Djokovic win gave the hosts an insurmountable 3-1 lead.

“Isner fought like crazy, and his serve was unbelievable,” Djokovic said of the 20th-ranked American. “His serves are coming like from the fourth floor, and I had no idea where they would go.”

Djokovic needed six match points, but finally prevailed in 4 hours, 16 minutes against Isner, who made his Davis Cup debut with a singles loss against Viktor Troicki here on Friday and was a doubles winner on Saturday.

“Four hours is a lot of tennis, and I’m proud how I played,” Isner said after succumbing to Djokovic.

In Sunday’s dead rubber, Sam Querrey cruised past Troicki 7-5, 6-2.

The Serbs, who will appear in their first-ever Davis Cup quarterfinal, will battle Croatia in July.

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Serbia got itself off to a perfect start in its Davis Cup by BNP Paribas first round tie against USA. Viktor Troicki withstood a creditable clay court challenge from John Isner to win 76(4) 67(5) 75 64 in three hours 36 minutes.

In the second tie Novak Djokovic won in 4 sets over Sam Querrey. The US team now has to win the doubles and both reverse singles to move on to the quarter final.

The Beogradska Arena was vibrating with the noise of cheer sticks and chanting from the home crowd as they carried Troicki to victory. The players had said all along that the crowd was going to play a very important role in getting them through this weekend and this was the first example of it.

Isner had an opportunity in the first set when he broke serve to lead 5-3 after Troicki sent a forehand cross court return out. The American served for the set only to be broken in the next game when Troicki powered a backhand down the line for a winner. In the tiebreak Troicki got a mini-break with the fifth point and eventually got the early upper hand with a service winner.

The match remained even throughout the second set. Neither player faced a break point, forcing a second consecutive tiebreak, which Isner clinched on his first set point. Troicki raced to a 3-1 lead in the third set and had four points for a double break and a 4-1 lead. However, he couldn’t convert and that allowed the American back in to the set.

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American John Isner will make his Davis Cup debut on Friday when he meets Viktor Troicki in Friday’s opening singles rubber for the 2010 Davis Cup first-round battle between the United States and Serbia.

The best-of-five tie will be staged on red clay at Belgrade Arena.

Isner-Troicki will be followed by a bout between world No. 2 Serbian star Novak Djokovic and Sam Querrey on Day 1.

Saturday’s doubles encounter will pit an American duo of the twin Bryan brothers, Bob and Mike, against a Serbian tandem of Janko Tipsarevic and Nenad Zimonjic, while Sunday’s reverse singles currently call for Djokovic to battle the 6-foot-9 Isner and Troicki to take on the 6-foot-6 Querrey.

Team USA is captained by Patrick McEnroe, while the Serbs are guided by Bogdan Obradovic. McEnroe led the U.S. to a record 32nd Davis Cup title in 2007, which ended an American title drought of 12 years.

The Americans are playing without their top gun, Wimbledon runner-up Andy Roddick, who decided against playing in the prestigious international team event this year.

The U.S. and Serbia will meet for the first-ever time in Davis Cup play. The winner here will face Croatia or Ecuador in the quarterfinals in July.

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A first-time all-American battle will punctuate the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships on Sunday afternoon, with two of the country’s most promising – and tallest – rising stars meeting for the title.

John Isner and Sam Querrey – ranked No.25 and No.31 in the world, and seeded No.6 and No.8 here, respectively, both made it through tough draws and will now play each other for the very first time in the final at the Racquet Club of Memphis. They do know each other very well though – they are Davis Cup teammates and good friends.

According to ATP World Tour records, this is the tallest final ever – Isner is 6′9″, Querrey 6′6″ – and it is also the first time two Americans will play for a title since last July in Indianapolis, when Querrey was a runner-up to Robby Ginepri. Isner is going for his second career ATP World Tour title and Querrey his third.

Querrey was responsible for the departure of top seed Andy Roddick, beating the world No.7 in three sets in the quarterfinals.

After the singles final, the two will pair up in the doubles final, taking on British-Australian pairing Ross Hutchins and Jordan Kerr.

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Andy Roddick’s bid to defend his title at the ATP Regions Morgan Keegan Championships in Memphis came to a thudding halt on Friday night at the hands of fellow American Sam Querrey.

Eighth seed Querrey broke the top seed’s serve twice in the deciding set to prevail 7-5 3-6 6-1 in their quarter-final match-up and set up a last-four clash with Latvian youngster Ernest Gulbis.

Gulbis, who ousted third seed Radek Stepanek in round two, continued his fine run with a battling 3-6 6-3 7-6 (7/3) victory over another Czech on Friday – fifth seed Tomas Berdych.

The other semi-final will be between Philipp Petzschner and sixth seed John Isner.

Germany’s Petzschner overcame Slovakia’s Lukas Lacko 6-1 1-6 6-1 while American Isner defeated Croatian Ivo Karlovic 6-1 7-6 (9/7).

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Andy Murray will bid to post his best ever showing at the Australian Open against John Isner after a convincing 7-5 6-1 6-4 victory over Florent Serra sealed his spot among the last 16.

The world No.5, who is yet to drop a set at this year’s tournament, has never been beyond the fourth round in Melbourne, and knows he faces his sternest test yet in the form of the 6’9” American who beat No.12 seed Gael Monfils.

Isner, bumped up to No.33 in the seedings after Gilles Simon’s late withrawal, reeled off 26 aces and hit 73 winners on his way to a 6-1 4-6 7-6(4) 7-6(5) win against the Frenchman, taking his career head-to-head record to 3-1 in the process.

“He gives guys a lot of problems – he’s 6’9” with a huge serve”

“He gives guys a lot of problems,” said Murray about his fourth round opponent, who titled for the first time in Auckland just before heading to Melbourne. “He’s 6’9” with a huge serve.”

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American John Isner won the first title of his career with a three-set victory over French veteran Arnaud Clement in Saturday’s final of the Heineken Open, a final Australian Open tune-up.

The big-serving Isner used 22 aces to take down Clement 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (7-2). The American belted a total of 78 aces in his five matches during the tournament.

The 24-year-old Isner battled off match point in the 12th game of the final set to set the score to deuce. The 6-foot-9 Isner then fired a pair of aces to send the match into a decisive tiebreak, where he cruised to victory.

Isner’s only other appearance in a title match occurred in 2007, when he lost to fellow American Andy Roddick in Washington.

The 32-year-old Clement dropped to 4-7 in his career finals, with his last title coming in DC in 2006.

Isner leads the all-time series with the 2001 Aussie Open runner-up Clement, 2-0. The American also beat the Frenchman in a Sydney qualifying match in 2008.

With the victory, Isner took home $64,250.

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