For Isner, it was fun while it, and he, lasted

NEW YORK -- It was great fun for a while in the U.S. Open tennis tournament here Saturday afternoon, with newcomer John Isner playing Roger Federer on center court before more than 23,000 people.

Then Goliath slew David.

The reality was that neither a 140-mph serve nor a lethal slingshot could change the outcome of this third-round match. Isner may be 6 feet 9, may have a serve that would dent a Brinks truck, may have youth and enthusiasm and promise and the collective karma of United States tennis fans on his side.

But you can’t out-paint Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel.

Federer has won 11 Grand Slam singles titles, has spent 187 consecutive weeks at No. 1 -- the longest streak by any tennis player, male or female -- and is attempting to become the first since Bill Tilden to win four straight U.S. Open titles, his three coming on the same Arthur Ashe Stadium court where he played Isner. Tilden won his fourth in 1923 and also won the next two years.

Federer is three major titles away from matching Pete Sampras’ record and he has already won the Australian and Wimbledon this year.

As a college senior, Isner helped the Georgia Bulldogs win this year’s NCAA team title, in front of 5,000 people, most of them screaming “Go Dawgs” and making barking noises. He got into the main draw here by invitation of the U.S. Tennis Assn., which was doing what it is supposed to by including U.S. up-and-comers in the home country’s big show.

Saturday’s faceoff with Federer was Isner’s 14th match in the main draw of a main tour event. It was No. 662 for Federer.

Still, a good time was had by all.

“I did [enjoy it],” Federer said. “I think he enjoyed it, too.”

Isner, at 22 only four years younger than Federer, said, “Yeah. It was amazing. . . obviously, the most fun I’ve had playing a tennis match.”

The best time for the Isner camp and the U.S. fans was the first set, when Isner showed his potential and Federer showed glimpses of being mortal. Isner got the first break point, at 2-2, and never faced a break point on his serve, sending the set into a tiebreaker from 5-6 and 30-all with a 136-mph ace and a 128-mph ace.

Then, in the tiebreaker, with the stadium rocking, Isner cranked aces of 129 mph and 136 mph and nearly knocked the racket out of Federer’s hand with a 134-mph bomb. Moments later he had a 5-4 lead, with two serves coming. The first offering was 134 mph and Federer got a portion of his racket on it, but not enough to get it in play. Then, on set point -- an incredible moment in itself for a player such as Isner -- the serve came at Federer at 124 mph and was not returned.

Isner turned and pumped his fist. The fans were on their feet, the stadium sound system blaring upbeat music. For the two-minute break before the second set began, there was an actual buzz: Can he really do it?

Isner said afterward that, at that point, even he believed, at least a little.

“I did,” he said. “Then again, I knew he was going to step his game up. That’s what he does, every time he loses a set. He rarely loses two in a row. I knew I had to keep it up for two more sets, and unfortunately, I couldn’t do it.”

Through the post-first-set celebration, Federer sat quietly, expression never changing, kind of like a paid assassin about to pull the trigger.

Minutes later, everybody knew. Federer pressed Isner in the first service game, got it to love-40, shrugged off a 133-mph ace and then accepted a double fault, only Isner’s third of the match, for his first breakthrough.

Soon after, it was 4-0. Clearly, Federer had figured it out and the match had become the essence of that old-time newspaper sports story lead: John Isner drew first blood and then had it spilled all over him.

Isner avoided an 0, 0 and 0 finish, competing well enough to lose the last three sets, 6-2, 6-4 and 6-2, and ending up with 18 aces and 49 winners -- most of them on aces and service winners.

Afterward, he had it in perspective.

“Just to think,” he said. “Four months ago, I was unranked and [now I] go from that to beating Roger Federer in a set. It’s pretty cool.”

Also cool was the point Federer played to get to his first match point, at 1-5, 15-30. Isner served 130 mph and put down a crisp volley off Federer’s return. Federer tracked that down and slapped a perfect top-spin lob that easily stayed above Isner’s reach -- no small feat -- and dropped down well inside the baseline.

“I just stood there,” Isner said. “Didn’t move. Just watched it go by.”

Which is exactly what the rest of the players on the men’s tour have been doing with Federer for about the last four years.

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Dwyre can be reached at bill.dwyre@latimes.com. To read previous columns by Dwyre, go to latimes.com/dwyre.