Tenth-ranked John Isner will open the 2012 French Open against a qualifier on Sunday looking to bounce back from his loss to Nikolay Davydenko on Thursday in the Open de Nice.
Isner is 6-4 in his last 10 matches and 35-15 in his last 50. The former Georgia Bulldogs tennis star has finished as high as the third round at the French Open in both singles (2010) and doubles (2008). Of course, Isner is best known for his all-time first round Wimbeldon match against Nicolas Mahut in 2010.
Bruce Jenkins of SI.com thinks Isner could be a dark horse in this tournament, despite not having the best reputation on clay courts this season.
Yes, there was quite a bit of Isner buzz last month, but aside from giving Nadal a first-round scare last year, he hasn't done a thing in Paris. And he was having a terrible clay-court season until resurrecting his game to a degree in Nice this week.
Read more about the 2012 French Open at our dedicated SB Nation hub page.