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John Isner will miss Wimbledon

After four days of qualifying, the main draw at Wimbledon was set Friday — and Greensboro native John Isner's name isn't one of the 128 in the gentlemen's singles bracket.

The mononucleosis that kept Isner out of the French Open last month is all but gone. But the lost time cost the 24-year-old Page alumnus any chance at booming 140-mph serves at the All England Club.

"I missed the cut by two people," Isner said Friday from his Florida home. "Since I didn’t get into the main draw right away, I could have gone over and tried to get in through qualifying. But I haven’t had any practice, especially on grass, so I just had to bag it. With no practice, I wouldn’t have stood much of a chance."

Isner hasn't played since May 8, when fatigue caught up with him in the quarterfinals of a Challenger tournament in Savannah, Ga., and he lost to Alex Kuznetsov 7-6 (3), 2-6, 5-7.

Isner's mononucleosis was diagnosed the next week.

If the Wimbledon draw process started over this week, the 6-foot-9, big-serving Isner would be a shoo-in. He was No. 114 in the ATP world rankings when he fell ill, but after six weeks of inactivity Isner is up to No. 99.

"That's crazy, isn't it?" Isner said. "I’ve climbed 15 spots in the world rankings since I've been out. It's weird how it works. I didn't do well at the French (Open) or Wimbledon last year, and my ranking fell off a lot. I actually did better in terms of ranking by not playing them this year. I don't know how they figure it."

It's Isner's first top-100 singles ranking since July 21, 2008. His best ranking was No. 81 on April 14, 2008.

Just because he didn't get a Wimbledon invitation, don't expect Isner to sit home with his size 15 feet propped up on the coffee table.

"I don't feel 100 percent like I did a couple of months ago, but I'm much better," Isner said. "I feel like I'm in somewhat fighting shape right now."

Isner will return to tennis at a Challenger tournament in Winnetka, Ill. — a Chicago suburb — that conincides with the second week of Wimbledon. He'll follow that with a non-sanctioned tournament in New York the next week, then a week of practice in Florida to get ready for the ATP Indy Championships in Indianapolis.

"I need matches," Isner said. "Once you play some matches, you know you're going to be a little sore. Matches are a lot different than practice. No matter how you practice, you can't simulate how matches affect you."

Isner, a college star at Georgia who turned pro in 2007, is 9-6 in ATP matches this season. He’s 7-1 in Challenger Tour matches, and he won the tour stop in Tallahassee, Fla., in April for his third career Challenger title.

-- JEFF MILLS, Staff Writer, 373-7024 or jeff.mills@news-record.com