Davis Cup: John Isner pulls U.S. even with France

Simon kept chipping away and, when Isner missed an easy volley at the net, Simon got his chance to pull back a set with Isner on his second serve. But the American kept his cool, and his forehand winner down the line got him out of danger.

The momentum had turned back in Isner’s favor, and his volley on the run gave him break point in the 11th game. After some great defending at the net, he led 6-5 and easily closed out the match.

Neither team is at full strength. Simon was a late call-up for the injured Gael Monfils, while Harrison replaced ninth-ranked Mardy Fish when he pulled out with fatigue this week.

Earlier, the sixth-ranked Tsonga found it tough at times against the 19-year old American, who was playing in his first meaningful Davis Cup match. Harrison’s aggressive shot-making forced Tsonga to hurry shots as he tried to shorten the rallies.

“I hope I play better in my next game (against Isner on Sunday),” Tsonga said. “I had to battle and it worked out quite well for me. Despite losing that third set, I still tried to play my own game.”

Tsonga broke Harrison in the 12th game to take a laborious opening set in 54 minutes, then began to find his range as Harrison’s temper frayed.

“His major weakness is that he is very, very nervy,” Tsonga said. “I knew that if I held on longer than him, it would be to my advantage.”

Captain Jim Courier spoke with Harrison after the American smashed his racket into the ground following his double fault that gave Tsonga a 3-1 lead in the second set.

“I never double-fault that much, which is funny,” Harrison said. “The sun was against me on that side, and so was the wind.”

Harrison, ranked 66th and with only one Davis Cup match to his name — a meaningless dead rubber in the 5-0 thrashing of Switzerland in February — was far from intimidated and applied the early pressure.

But when Tsonga broke in the fourth game of the second set for 3-1, Harrison took it out on his racket, whacking it so violently into the ground that the frame bent into a right angle.

It didn’t go unnoticed.

“You look at him and think ‘OK, he’s not feeling great,’” Tsonga said.

It prompted Courier, the former two-time French Open champion, to have a gentle word with Harrison.

Courier then offered a sympathetic ear to the player at the end of the second set, nodding while Harrison spoke as they plotted a way to get back into the match.

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