Isner’s ouster means more gloom for American men in Paris

3:45 PM ET

PARIS — While Serena Williams seeks her 10th career quarterfinal berth Monday at Roland Garros, the American men have been total strangers to the second week here.

Thirteen years ago, a fellow named Andre Agassi made the quarters near the end of his career. That, believe it or not, was the last time it happened for a male from the United States.

On Sunday, which brought more rain and general gloom, John Isner came deceptively close to changing that narrative. He battled Andy Murray, but eventually fell, 7-6 (9), 6-4, 6-3.

In six career meetings against John Isner, Andy Murray has dropped only a single set. 15808668

Murray now faces No. 9-seeded Richard Gasquet, who defeated No. 5 Kei Nishikori in four sets.

“I was beaten by a better player, no doubt,” Isner said later. “That’s why he’s No. 2 in the world. That’s why I’m whatever [No. 17 in] the world. He showed that today.”

Isner, who has been America’s leading man for five years now, was playing in his 32nd Grand Slam event — and he’s been to a single quarterfinal, at the US Open in 2011.

At 6-feet-10, he has an enormously potent serve and forehand and has done well to maximize these gifts. He departs Paris with 110 aces in four matches; Ivo Karlovic fired 86 in three and third-place currently is tied by multiple players with 44, which underlines how dominant that weapon is.

The first-set tiebreaker showcased how competitive Isner is, even against the best players in the world. He actually had three set points, but only one was on his racket. At 6-5, Isner cracked a serve 132 mph, and Murray — the game’s second-best returner after Novak Djokovic — handled it.

He quickly worked himself into an advantageous position and, after a poor forehand from Isner, hit a sizzling backhand pass. With Murray serving at 10-9, Isner couldn’t track down a sharp-angled stroke from Murray and hit a forehand wide.

Afterward, …

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