NEW YORK(AP) He fought off mono in May. After that, maybe those 10 set points didn't seem like such a big deal to John Isner.
Isner overcame a handful - make that two handfuls - of set points to pull out a 16-14 second-set tiebreaker Monday en route to a first-round upset of 28th-seeded Victor Hanescu, 6-1, 7-6 (14), 7-6 (5) at the U.S. Open.
The American, one of many touted as the country's next big potential star, won his first Grand Slam match since the 2007 tournament.
In his third full year on tour, and ranked a career-best 55th, he's feeling good these days, thanks in part to all that rest his legs got when he was on the sidelines with mononucleosis earlier this year.
It might have been a blessing in disguise,'' Isner said.I felt fresh ever since I started playing in the States.''
He missed April and May with the illness but has been on a steady rise ever since. He reached the semifinals in Washington at the beginning of August, eliminated by Andy Roddick in a tough three-setter.
The goal now is to try to become the next Roddick. Had he played a classic tiebreaker like that on the second Saturday or Sunday, instead of the first Monday, his name would already be bigger.
Not that he's complaining.
He was behind throughout the entire tiebreaker until he took the 15-14 lead.
I just told myself if I could just get one advantage, I might be able to take it,'' he said.That's what happened.''
A SCREAMING SUCCESS: As expected, Michelle Larcher de Brito is making noise.
The 16-year-old from Portugal, who screamed loud enough during points at the French Open that an opponent actually complained, screeched her way to a 1-6, 7-5, 6-1 victory over Mathilde Johansson on Monday.
Johansson knew what to expect when she walked onto the court, and it didn't faze her.
I knew that she was very loud,'' Johansson said.Noise wasn't the problem.''
Instead, a late collapse did in the 24-year-old Frenchwoman, who led 4-2 in the second set but lost 11 of the final 13 games.
After the match, it was Johansson who felt like screaming - but not about her opponent.
If you're looking at that, you can't play,'' she said.I was more focused on me. Maybe too much.''
Larcher de Brito, meanwhile, moves on and will certainly demand attention if she keeps going. Her noisemaking at the French caught the attention of the British press, which played it up in the lead-up to Wimbledon.
She made her U.S. Open debut way out on Court 16, though she could be heard two or three courts over.
SERENA THE FAVORITE: Ten years ago, Serena Williams came into the U.S. Open with nothing to lose. Turns out, she won.
A decade later, she looks like a favorite to win it for the fourth time.
A much different task, she said, when everybody's aiming for you.
Ten years ago I definitely wasn't a favorite,'' she said.I felt like I had nothing to lose, and I like that attitude. When you play with that attitude, then you can go a really far way. That's kind of how I would like to even approach it this year.''
A nice thought if she can pull it off.
She wasn't pushed hard in her first-round match, a 6-4, 6-1 win over Alexa Glatch on Monday.
Williams is seeking her third Grand Slam of the year, yet despite the success, she is ranked No. 2, behind Dinara Safina, who hasn't won a major.
Maybe one reason Williams is so good at these big tournaments, though, is that she has lots of interests that pull her away from tennis for chunks of time. During her downtime over the past several months, she has been working on her memoir - written with a motivational slant - scheduled to come out after the Open.
I thought it was necessary, because I never really talked too much about my personal life,'' she said.I think having so many wonderful fans and being blessed that people follow me, just get to know a little bit more about the person.''
NET CORDS: Bethanie Mattek-Sands, the American known for her occasionally outlandish apparel choices, kept it fairly normal Monday: Teal tank top, white skirt. Oh, and those knee-high, white tube socks. She defeated Iveta Benesova, 6-3, 6-4. ... American players were 7-6 through the afternoon sessions, with Venus Williams and Andy Roddick favored in night matches. That included two matches that pitted Americans versus Americans.