VIDEO: Flavia Pennetta's return pegs John Isner where it hurts

The clip below might as well be titled Saving Private Isner. It involves a fateful exchange—the pop of that patented Serena Williams serve and a flailing return by Flavia Pennetta. The latter crosses the net and awkwardly hits a not-quite-ready John Isner (what, did he need a coffee pick-me-up?) in the lower abdomen, seemingly just above his nether region. Here's the footage:

Now, that YouTube video's title claims that Pennetta's prayer of a shot hits Isner in the "testes," but reviewing the clip more times than I'd like reveals that it pegs him, perhaps miraculously, just above said privates. If it does connect with his unmentionables, one imagines he reacts differently than the head-shaking, smiling demeanor he puts on—perhaps like Andy Roddick did, last year, after taking a Mark Philippoussis serve to the groin at a PowerShares Series event:

Still, Isner does seem a bit miffed by the jovial Fabio Fognini, Pennetta's partner both on and off the court, making an even bigger deal of the moment by rushing over and picking her up off the court.

Between Serena Williams' request for a midmatch shot of espresso in her bipolar singles match against Pennetta (the American won 0-6, 6-3, 6-0) and this latest painful occurrence, the Hopman Cup international team exhibition is truly putting on a show this week. By the way, the U.S. tandem did eek out the mixed-doubles victory at hand—6-2, 2-6, 11-9—for a 3-0 team win. Even so ... point, Pennetta.

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