Andy Murray vs. John Isner

This match is fairly straight forward.  Andy Murray returns better, moves better, and has a more stable all-around game than John Isner.  Does that mean Andy Murray will win? Probably, but John Isner has one of the top 5 serves in men’s tennis.  His serve may be the best serve on tour.  Given that players serve roughly 50% of the games played in a match, Inser has a puncher’s chance.*  John Isner pushed Rafael Nadal to two tiebreaks in the 2013 Masters Cincinnati final.  Isner will be playing in his 3rd Masters 1000 final and could win the biggest title of his career by taking a title in Paris.  The indoor surface should help in his quest to hold serve and put scoreboard pressure on Andy Murray.  Will Murray be emotionally drained from reaching number one?  Will Murray’s rhythm be thrown off by having an unexpected day off?  If Murray is playing below his best level, Isner’s serve could spring an upset.  I do not see that happening though.

My prediction: Andy Murray d. John Isner 7-6, 6-4

*A match can end with a player serving one more or one fewer time than his opponent and both players serve during a tiebreak.