Isner shocks Federer in Davis Cup for 2-0 US lead

FRIBOURG, Switzerland (AP) -Roger Federer fell to a shock 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-2 defeat by John Isner as the United States took a 2-0 lead against Switzerland in their Davis Cup first-round series on Friday.

Isner's usual big serve was backed by a string of booming ground strokes that challenged third-ranked Federer in longer rallies on the indoor clay court.

"I thought he played great," Federer said. "He played it tough and served great when he had to. I just missed a couple more opportunities than he did and that's what cost me the match."

The 26-year-old Isner hailed his victory as "the biggest win of my career thus far."

"I'm very proud of it. I played those break points down very well. It turned the match a little for me," Isner said.

Federer's upset loss was even eclipsed for drama and tension by a thrilling opening match as Mardy Fish beat Stanislas Wawrinka 6-2, 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 9-7.

"Mardy put forth a great effort," Isner said. "That was so gutsy. It took a lot of pressure off of me."

The U.S. can eliminate Switzerland in Saturday's doubles when a scheduled scratch pairing of Mike Bryan and teenager Ryan Harrison are set to face Federer and Wawrinka, the 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medalists.

"It's been a difficult day for us," Federer said, adding: "We still have a chance to go through. I'm going to enjoy the challenge."

A partisan crowd of 7,000 at Fribourg Forum was stunned into silence at Federer's first loss in Davis Cup singles for eight years.

Yet the Swiss star had started in routine fashion, winning the opening set with a dominating first serve.

Isner broke Federer's serve in the sixth game of the second set, but failed to exert any pressure as the third went with serve.

Still, Federer couldn't convert chances in the sixth and eighth games - taking just one of his 12 break opportunities in the match - and the set drifted into a tiebreaker.

Isner never trailed, clinching it on his first set point with a subtle stop volley at the net which gave Federer no chance of retrieval.

The fourth set turned on the fifth game when Isner battled back from 0-40 with three big serves and two blistering forehand winners.

Federer never recovered and Isner reeled off four straight games, ending the match by rifling a backhand winner.

"I thought John finished it well," Federer said. "It's always a little bit easier to swing from the hip when you are a break up and two sets to one."

U.S. team captain Jim Courier had higher praise for the 17th-ranked Isner.

"I don't know I have ever seen anyone finish a match against Roger Federer the way he did today. That was pretty amazing," Courier said.

Isner had lost his two previous encounters with Federer, both on hard courts. In winning on clay against the 16-time Grand Slam singles champion, he became the first American to achieve that feat since Vince Spadea beat a 17-year-old Federer in the Monte Carlo Masters first round in April 1999.

If Isner needed any inspiration, he found it in Fish's earlier victory that took 4 hours, 26 minutes, the third-longest Davis Cup singles match involving a U.S. player since 1989 when the competition brought in tiebreakers.

Fish found the reserves to fight back after wasting a match point chance at 5-4 in the decider, and clinched victory six games later with a cushioned, crosscourt volley winner at the net.

"It's certainly up there, there's no doubt about it," said Fish, when asked how it ranked among his best wins. "It's a good win to beat Stan, period. Clay is his best surface, his favorite surface and it's in his home country. I'll take that away, for sure."

A 95-minute final set saw wild shifts in momentum and emotion, before the eighth-ranked American improved his record to 3-0 against the 28th-ranked Wawrinka.

"He did everything to win," Wawrinka said of Fish. "He played more aggressively in the fifth set."

Fish was up a break at 4-3 and held serve only after going 0-40 down, saving the first chance with a perfectly judged lob.

Serving for the match, Fish saved a break point before a long rally on match point ended with Fish being wrongfooted by Wawrinka's forehand winner.

Wawrinka leveled at 5-5 when Fish sent a forehand long, but dropped serve to give Fish a 8-7 lead on his third break opportunity.

In a fluctuating final game, Fish trailed 15-40, won three straight points, then wasted a second match point when Wawrinka unleashed a backhand service return down the line.

Fish's 14th ace created a third, and decisive, match point to give Courier's team a perfect start.

"I'm obviously proud of the guys," Courier said. "But we have a long way home to win that third match out of five."