Back in Houston, John Isner is hoping to recreate some of his favorite memories from the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship this week.

The American has played the event eight times in as many years. But he’s had uneven showings the past four years, finishing as a finalist (2012), champion (2013) and twice losing in his first match (2014, 2015). “I’ve been feast or famine here,” Isner said on Tuesday. “I’m looking to buck that trend of the last two years.”

The No. 1 seed received a first-round bye and is scheduled to play his second-round match against compatriot Denis Kudla on Wednesday evening. He’ll start his Houston run without the help of a full-time coach. He and former ATP World Tour player Justin Gimelstob announced their split on Gimelstob’s website on Monday. The two have worked together since December 2014.

“After an incredibly enjoyable year and a half coaching one the best talents in the sport, John and I have decided to end our professional relationship,” wrote Gimelstob, who also serves on the ATP World Tour Board of Directors. “I’m very proud of what John has accomplished and I wish him the best moving forward.”

Isner said he’s without a coach for the time being, although countryman and former World No. 7 Mardy Fish of the USTA is with him in Houston. “Not having a coach is not going to hinder me at all,” Isner said. “It’s all on me to come here and play well.”

The 30 year old will try to improve on his start to 2016. Isner is 8-6 this year but three times has lost in his first match at tournaments, including at the Argentina Open, the Rio Open presented by Claro, and the Miami Open presented by Itau.

“I think I have a lot of upside, given how I play and the style of my game,” Isner said. “But at the same time if I’m not doing the right things on the court, and I’ve shown this this year, I can lose to a lot of players.”

The World No. 15’s three early exits this year have come against players ranked outside the Top 70 of the ATP Emirates Rankings, including his 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(5) loss to World No. 132 Tim Smyczek last month in Miami. Isner has won less than 20 per cent (1-5) of his matches that have come down to the final set this year. For his career, he’s won almost 60 per cent of those matches.

“This year, especially, I’ve lost a lot of incredibly tough matches, which in the past I’ve been accustomed to winning. So it’s been a bit of a trying 2016 so far,” he said. “But I feel strong and I feel fit and as long as I still feel that way and want to compete and am hungry out there, I know I can do some very good things.”

Spring is the season when things really kick into high gear. No, not for tennis. For wrestling.

I’ve been a WWE fan pretty much all my life. Growing up in Greensboro, N.C., it felt like every year we would get a major WWE event in our backyard, at the Coliseum: either a Raw (WWE television program) or a pay-per-view. So my friends and I started getting really into it when we were around 10 or 11 — and I’ve been a die-hard fan ever since.

And when I say that my life revolved around WWE, I mean it revolved around WWE. Pro wrestling was life: Every Monday, like clockwork, I was right in front of the TV, ready for that week’s Raw. (My parents always made me go to bed before it ended, but I would sneak back downstairs to watch).

Every month my friends would come over and they’d each chip in five bucks so that we could watch that month’s pay-per-view. Every time Shawn Michaels would come out with a new T-shirt, I’d buy it – and I couldn’t wait to show it off at school the next day. I mean, it was serious.

In honour of this year’s WrestleMania, I thought I would draw some parallels between the two worlds that I know best: the ATP World Tour and the WWE.

Rafael Nadal is the Ultimate Warrior

That raw, intense, one-of-a-kind energy. Both won championships, and both packed stadiums. But mostly, it’s that energy. There will never be another Warrior, and there will never be another Rafa.

Nick Kyrgios is Stone Cold Steve Austin

Stone Cold is one of the most colourful characters you’ll ever come across. You never know what is going to come out of his mouth, both during a match and on the mic. Total disregard for authority. And of course: an insane talent.

Read the full story.

Marcos Baghdatis made a perfect start to his campaign at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship, dismissing Diego Schwartzman 6-0, 6-0 in 48 minutes on Tuesday afternoon in Houston.

It marked the first double bagel on the ATP World Tour since last April, when Sergiy Stakhovsky defeated Mikhail Ledovskikh in the Munich first round, and the first at this ATP World Tour 250 tournament since 1986 (Diego Perez d. Bruno Oresar).

Baghdatis capitalised on six of his 12 break point chances and won 77 per cent of his service points en route to his most decisive tour-level victory. In 2011, he dropped one game against Denis Gremelmayr in the ‘s-Hertogenbosch quarter-finals.

The 30-year-old Cypriot will meet the winner between Fernando Verdasco and qualifier Carlos Berlocq as he looks to reach the Houston quarter-finals for the first time.

After being sidelined for the best part of the past two years after a third wrist surgery, Juan Martin del Potro revealed he was close to quitting tennis.

But with the support of his family, friends and fans, the ‘Tower Of Tandil’ has taken the first tentative steps of his comeback on the ATP World Tour in the past few weeks and, after encouraging results so far, is excited for what the future may hold.

“I’m so happy to be on tour again after almost two years without tennis life,” del Potro told ATPWorldTour.com at the BNP Paribas Open, where he reached the second round (l. to Berdych). “It was frustrating for me at the beginning of my injuries. But I kept working hard, trying to fix the problem every time.

“Now the present is very nice for me, playing tennis in these kind of events. I’m so happy to share it with all the players in the locker room and the player lounge. Just being on tour for me is amazing.”

After winning the US Open in 2009, going on to finish runner-up later that year at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals and reaching a career-high No. 4 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, the world was seemingly at del Potro’s feet, with his forehand sending shockwaves around the ATP World Tour.

But instead, the Argentine’s career since then has been blighted by repeated spells off Tour due to wrist injuries. Now, with a second chance in tennis, del Potro is taking nothing for granted.

“It was very frustrating for me,” said the Argentine. “It’s very tough when you don’t get the solution quicker. You see different doctors and no-one knows about the problem. But hopefully after my third surgery, the problem is almost fixed and I am here, playing tennis again. I’m looking forward to the future, because I have good things to believe in.

“I was close to quitting tennis. I got frustrated at home and I didn’t watch tennis on TV because it was sad for me. It was close. But now, I have many good things to take from the tour. I would like to play tennis and that’s it.”

Still in the early stages of his comeback, highlighted by a run to the semi-finals on his return in Delray Beach (l. to Querrey), del Potro says he is far from his best form, citing his backhand as being some way off in Indian Wells. But the right-hander can count on the support of his family and legion of fans as he continues to make his way back.

Next up for del Potro will be the clay-court swing and his first appearance on the dirt in three years, since reaching the third round in Rome in 2013 (l. to Paire).

“I still feel young. I’m only 27 years old,” said del Potro. “If I’m healthy, I would like to play for more years. I just need to be healthy, to be strong. If I get that, I will enjoy the tennis life for more years.

“Social media was the key to keep close with my fans around the world. I posted all the time how my improvement was with my wrist. Now I have a few more posts and they’re all good news. That’s what they want to see and that’s what I want to post. If I can post all the time about playing tennis, it will be great for me.

“I don’t know if I’m going to be better than I was before,” admitted del Potro. “But I want to play tennis, stay healthy and the future will take care of itself. I’m still confident in my game and still looking forward to playing with the top guys in the same condition, not like [Indian Wells], when I couldn’t hit my backhand at 100 per cent. Maybe in the future I will get that chance.”

Novak Djokovic is on an unprecedented roll. In winning Miami last week, the World No. 1 reached a record 11th consecutive ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final, compiling a scorching 56-2 record along the way.

Next victim – Monte Carlo. Djokovic dropped just one set to win the 2015 Monte Carlo Rolex Masters, defeating eight-time champion Rafael Nadal, 6-3, 6-3, in the semi-finals.

An Infosys ATP Beyond the Numbers analysis of Djokovic’s successful 2015 campaign reveals 10 interesting insights into his game that we can look for again this year.

1. Aces/Double Faults

In 49 service games, Djokovic only hit nine aces, while committing just seven double faults. This is about the only area of his game he was not immediately leaning on his opponent.

2. Serving Scenarios

Djokovic served with new balls five times, and held every time. He won 88 per cent (7/8) of his service games when serving for the set, and won 85 per cent (17/20) holding serve after breaking his opponent’s serve.

3. Better Converting In The Ad Court

When returning, the super Serb played 77 per cent (40/52) of his break point opportunities in the advantage court, where he was almost twice as successful converting break points. He converted 48 per cent (19/40) of his break points in the ad court, and only 25 per cent (3/12) in the deuce court.

4. Holding Serve

Djokovic proved impossible to break when he stretched his lead to two points when serving. He held every time when he led 30/0 (19/19), and also 40/15 (20/20).

5. Score = 30/30

Djokovic put up fairly similar numbers at 30/30 when he was serving and receiving. He won 75 per cent (12/16) of his service games from 30/30, and broke 62 per cent (8/13) when returning at the same score.

6. Solid Second Serves

Overall, on break points, Djokovic made a first serve 68 per cent (13/19) of the time. He saved 70 per cent (9/13) of his break points behind a first serve, and a very high 67 per cent (4/6) after hitting a second serve.

7. Breaking = Better Versus Second Serves

Making a first serve dramatically helped opponents save break points against the world’s premier returner. Djokovic broke 40 per cent (11/28) of the time against a first serve, but a substantially higher 65 per cent (11/17) when he got a look at a second serve.

8. Average Set Time

The average set time in Monte Carlo last year for Djokovic was 43 minutes – just two minutes longer than his 2015 season average on all surfaces.

9. Average Winning Match Time

Even though playing on clay at sea level, the Serb basically raced through his matches in Monte Carlo, winning the five matches in an average of 95 minutes. His 2015 season average was a full 12 minutes longer, at 107 minutes.

10. Second Serve Domination Versus Nadal

Djokovic won a commanding 68 per cent (8/14) of his second-serve points against Nadal, and also won 53 per cent (12/23) of the Spaniard’s second-serve points as well. Djokovic broke Nadal four times, with all four coming behind Nadal’s first serve.

Read more insights at Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers