7/20/11 5:51 PM | Johan Lindahl
John Isner is keen for his start at the Atlanta Championships, when one American tests himself against a countryman from the preceding tennis generation.
Isner, 26, will play the 31-year-old Blake, once a Top 10 regular whose rankings now sits on 91st after seasons of injury. "There are no secrets between us," said Isner. "I live half a mile from him in Tampa, Florida. I drive my golf car to his house pretty much every day.
"We practice with each other all the time so I know James about as well as anybody. It's whomever is better on the day."
Isner is defending a final at the event from 2010 when he lost in three sets to Mardy Fish, top seed at this edition and the highest-ranked American at No. 9. Isner called Blake "a huge inspiration."
"He completely dropped out of the rankings pretty much six or seven years ago (due to a serious collision with a net post during training) and then got all the way to fourth in the world.
"It's a huge accomplishment," said the world No. 35. "My ultimate goal is to be in the Top 10. To be honest, it will be tough to play a good friend. It's a tough dynamic."
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