Isner returns to scene of 1st Masters 1000 title in Miami

When John Isner first got to town for his Miami Open title defense, he went for a practice session at the old tournament site in Key Biscayne instead of the new location at the stadium used by the NFL's Dolphins.

It wasn't that he wasn't sure where to go, of course. Nor was he trying to soak up the good vibes at the place where he won an ATP Masters 1000 trophy for the first time.

"It was just about convenience. Close to my hotel. I just wanted to break a sweat and went out there. It was pretty weird, actually. Kind of quiet. The place still has its allure to it, but it definitely seems different," Isner said Tuesday. "We're all used to pulling into that parking lot and the place is bustling. Wasn't like that."

Rain falls on the court after the Miami Open tennis tournament was postponed, Tuesday, March 19, 2019, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. (David SantiagoMiami Herald via AP)

There wasn't much bustle at the new-look Miami Open on the initial day of scheduled main-draw play, which was completely wiped out because of rain throughout Tuesday.

They'll try again to get started Wednesday; No. 9 Isner and other seeded men such as Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer won't play before Friday thanks to first-round byes.

Isner, 10-6 this season, arrived at the hard-court tournament in 2018 with a 1-6 mark. He proceeded to win six matches in a row, three against men ranked in the top six.

Roger Federer, of Switzerland, practices for the Miami Open tennis tournament in Miami Gardens, Fla., Monday, March 18, 2019. (Charles Trainor Jr.Miami Herald via AP)

"I do know that, look, odds are, I probably won't defend this title," he said with a chuckle after touring the Humane Society of Greater Miami with Alexander Zverev, the runner-up at the Miami Open a year ago. "At the same time, it is cool coming back as the defending champion of a tournament of this magnitude. Never been in this situation before. Just looking forward to it. No pressure. I don't look at it as, 'Oh, I'm going to lose a bunch of points.' You can't look at it like that. It's just another tournament you want to do well in."

Isner says his performance in Florida gave him a boost that helped him later in the season, including his semifinal showing at Wimbledon in July, the best he'd ever done at a Grand Slam tournament.

So did that carry over into this season, too?

"Unfortunately, I feel like it has a shelf life," said Isner, who lost to Reilly Opelka in an all-American matchup in the first round of the Australian Open in January. "Every player is different, but I feel like, for me, when you start the new year, everything is reset. Even if you played fantastic at the end of the year last year, you have two months off, and everything resets."

More AP Tennis: https://www.apnews.com/apf-Tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Blowing late leads has become a hallmark of Manchester United's season.

Erik ten Hag hopes that changes when Liverpool comes to Old Trafford on Sunday. United is still clinging to hopes of a Champions League spot, despite a stunning 4-3 loss to Chelsea on Thursday night.

United first gave away the lead in the 10th minute of stoppage time at Stamford Bridge and then the game a minute later — both goals coming from Cole Palmer.

That followed a blown lead in a 1-1 draw at Brentford last Saturday. United had just recovered from celebrating Mason Mount's goal in the 96th when Kristoffer Ajer tied it three minutes later.

“We can beat the best teams in the Premier League,” Ten Hag said. “When you beat them in the Premier League, you can do it across Europe, but we need to learn how you win games ... how you bring games over the line and get the three points. We have to step up."

Dropping five points in the past two games is “very expensive,” he added.

“Games are running out. We know that and we have to catch up and we are now many points behind,” Ten Hag said. “It will be difficult. We will keep fighting.”

With eight games remaining, United is nine points behind fifth-place Tottenham and 11 points back of fourth-place Aston Villa. Because of a format change to the Champions League next season, the Premier League might get a fifth spot in Europe's elite club competition.

Blowing leads is not a new problem.

United exited the Champions League at the group stage — in last place. They gave away second-half leads in three of those games: a 3-2 home loss to Galatasaray; a 4-3 defeat at Copenhagen; and a 3-3 draw at Galatasaray.

The good news? United has actually closed out a big win recently — over Liverpool 4-3 after extra time in a thrilling FA Cup quarterfinal match. Marcus Rashford tied it at 3-3 before Amad Diallo's winner at Old Trafford.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp pointed to uncharacteristic errors that they'll need to avoid this time.

“We were really good that day but didn’t finish the situations off in extra time,” Klopp said. “We made mistakes we didn’t make before at all. We better play a really good football game to be honest, if we want something there.”

First-place Liverpool holds a two-point lead over Arsenal heading into the weekend.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Manchester United's head coach Erik ten Hag gives instructions from the side line during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge in London, Thursday, April 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Manchester United players react after referee award a penalty to Chelsea during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge in London, Thursday, April 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)