The big servers with the big streaks came through on Friday in Australia.    John Isner started strong and finished well in the tiebreakers to beat Gael Monfils in four sets, and Andy Roddick survived a tough four-setter against Feliciano Lopez, placing each in the round of 16.

Roddick has been here many times before, but this is only Isner’s second time this far in a Grand Slam, following up on his fourth-round appearance in the 2009 U.S. Open (where he beat Roddick in five sets).  The big Bulldog is hot, having won his first ATP tournament in Auckland preceding his run this week in Melbourne.  Roddick also came in on a winning streak, having won the tourney in Brisbane.

Isner, my fellow Georgia alumnus who anchored a NCAA championship team for UGA, played so well last night I can forgive him for wearing Georgia Tech colors, certainly forced on him by Nike.  For some reason the trend in tennis this year is for blue courts and shirts the color of tennis balls. 

His next test is a tough one in No. 5 seed Andy Murray.  Roddick plays Fernando Gonzalez, the Chilean who won a fantastic five-set match of high-powered ball bashing against Evgeny Korolev of Kazakhstan.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen any two players hit the ball so hard as they did, particularly Korolev. It undoubtedly is the greatest Kazakhstan-Chile sports competitions of all times.

Isner is going to have to serve impeccably to beat Murray.  It’s great to have another American this far in the tourney with Roddick, especially one who played four years of college tennis.  It’s been a long time since a top American star who played even a year of college tennis — back to John McEnroe or Jimmy Connors, I believe — much less four. 

Roddick and Isner with two more wins each could meet in the semifinals.  Here’s hoping it happens.  We are long overdue for another American star to join Roddick in the top 10.  I just hope he can do it in red.  But whatever color he wears, I’ll be cheering for him.

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