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Corentin Moutet has revealed the rationale behind his unconventional underarm serve attempt during his match against John Isner at the 2023 Hall of Fame Open in Newport, Rhode Island.
Moutet defeated Elliot Spizziri in straight sets in his tournament opener to set up a clash with Isner. Meanwhile, the American advanced to the second round of the ATP 250 event after securing a hard-fought 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 win over Alex Bolt in his opening match.
Isner started the match strong, claiming a crucial break to secure the first set 6-3. He carried his momentum forward into the second set, breaking the Frenchman's serve early to take a 4-2 lead.
In an attempt to catch the American off guard, Moutet attempted a behind-the-back underarm serve. However, his effort proved futile, resulting in a fault on his first serve as the ball landed long.
John Isner went on to claim a 6-3, 6-4 victory over the Frenchman, achieving back-to-back wins for the first time since February. The 38-year-old was clinical in his performance as he converted two break points and recorded an 87% win percentage on his first serves.
Following his defeat, Moutet reacted to a clip of his unconventional serve on social media and admitted to losing focus, not knowing which strategy to use in the face of Isner's dominant performance. Despite his loss, Moutet extended his congratulations towards Isner.
"Guy was too good haha I lost my mind didn't know which tactic to try anymore. Congrats to him," Moutet tweeted.
John Isner set to take on Tommy Paul in Hall of Fame Open QF
John Isner will be up against defending champion Tommy Paul in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Hall of Fame Open on Friday, July 21. Paul defeated Ethan Quinn 6-4, 6-2 to book his spot against his compatriot.
Isner leads 2-0 in his head-to-head against Paul, having won their most recent encounter in the 2020 Acapulco quarterfinals in three sets. However, the pair's upcoming clash will mark their first-ever meeting on grass.
The 38-year-old has enjoyed previous success at the Hall of Fame Open as he holds the record for most titles at the ATP 250 event, having won the title on four occasions. His most recent title in Newport came in 2019.
John Isner currently holds a 4-9 win/loss record for the season. Meanwhile, Tommy Paul has recorded 24 wins to 15 losses over the course of the season so far. Paul also achieved his career-high ranking of World No. 14 on July 17.
