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Throwbacks

The advice Jim Courier gave John Isner before he beat Roger Federer at the 2012 Davis Cup

Split image of John Isner playing at the 2021 Canadian Open and Roger Federer playing at the 2019 Hopman Cup, throwback label added
Credit: Will Russell/Vaughn Ridley via Getty Images
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The Davis Cup has thrown up some memorable ties over the years, many of which have involved the USA.

The USA are 32-time winners of the Davis Cup, although they have just suffered a disappointing exit in the second round qualifiers.

Czechia defeated the USA 3-2 at Delray Beach, with their star men Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe unable to avoid the upset.

It represents a very different experience from their compatriot John Isner back in 2012, when the American handed legendary figure Roger Federer his first Davis Cup defeat in nine years.

Isner recorded a memorable 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(7-4), 6-2 win, helping his nation open up a 2-0 lead over Switzerland.

John Isner plays at the 2012 Davis Cup
Photo credit should read SEBASTIEN FEVAL/AFP via Getty Images

What Jim Courier told John Isner before his 2012 Davis Cup win over Roger Federer

Federer was a 16-time Grand Slam champion at the time, but Isner emerged victorious, admittedly thanks to help from his team captain Jim Courier.

When asked after the win what advice he was given by Courier on how to play against Federer, Isner revealed: “It wasn’t necessarily a bunch of advice.

“It was just him constantly reminding me of how I need to play. With my game, I don’t really need to adjust how I play to my opponent.

READ MORE: Bob Bryan reveals what he told Frances Tiafoe mid-way through his loss that knocked USA out of the Davis Cup

“No matter if I’m playing Federer, if I’m playing a guy ranked 800 in the world, I need to play the same. It was sort of just a constant reminder of that.

“It was a few X’s and O’s with that. Other than that, Captain Courier has been keeping it simple with me, but he’s been on me in a good way.

“Without him in my ear this week, these past four days, I wouldn’t have won that match. Obviously he’s done a great job.”

Sharing his take on the matter, Courier added: “I get credit and I didn’t hit one ball. This guy, he won the match.”

Roger Federer waves to the crowd at the 2012 Davis Cup
Photo credit should read SEBASTIEN FEVAL/AFP via Getty Images

How ‘gutsy’ Mardy Fish helped John Isner secure unforgettable win vs Roger Federer

The USA went on to thrash Switzerland 5-0 in their World Group opener, before battling past France 3-2 in the quarterfinals.

They did, however, exit at the semifinal stage, where they lost 3-1 to Spain, who went on to lose the final to the Czech Republic.

YearWinnerTournamentRoundSurface
2019Roger FedererLaver CupRound RobinIndoor Hard
2019Roger FedererATP Masters 1000 MiamiFinalOutdoor Hard
2018Roger FedererLaver CupRound RobinIndoor Hard
2015John IsnerATP Masters 1000 ParisRound of 16Indoor Hard
2015Roger FedererUS OpenRound of 16Outdoor Hard
2012Roger FedererLondon OlympicsQuarterfinalOutdoor Grass
2012Roger FedererATP Masters 1000 Indian WellsFinalOutdoor Hard
2012John IsnerSUI vs. USA WG 1st RDRound RobinIndoor Clay
2010Roger FedererATP Masters 1000 ShanghaiRound of 32Outdoor Hard
2007Roger FedererUS OpenRound of 32Outdoor Hard
John Isner vs Roger Federer head-to-head

But Isner’s fond memories of the tournament will remain, particularly regarding his win over Federer, which arrived after his teammate Mardy Fish had beaten Stan Wawrinka.

Isner also shared his immediate reaction to his win, saying after the match: “It feels good. Certainly it’s a huge win for me. It’s the biggest win of my career thus far. So very proud of it.

“We’re up 2‑0, which is a great start. That was our goal coming into today, and we accomplished it. Mardy put forth a great effort in the first match. Obviously that was so gutsy.

“What it did, it took a lot of pressure off of me, I felt. Mardy getting that win was obviously huge, and it was huge for me as well.”