News-Record.com

Let's face it, last week may have been one of the worst in sports history. Reports of a ref possibly fixing NBA game, Michael Vick indicted on dog-fighting charges, Barry Bonds and his incredible expanding head closing in on the most famous record in sports ... yeesh.

Then, we're hit with the worst news by far. Skip Prosser, a guy almost universally liked in college basketball - which is really saying a ton, considering how cutthroat and competitive college hoops can be - shockingly passed away suddenly, apparentlhy from a heart attack. I'm still trying to deal with that. I know it will take folks in the Wake community who were close to Skip much, much longer.

So I was hoping to start this week off on a lighter note, and as it turns out, former Page standout John Isner has timed things perfectly.

When we last left Isner, he was finishing up his college tennis career by leading his Georgia team to the team title and reaching the finals of the NCAA singles tournament.

After a short break and a move to Tampa, Isner has hit the ground running in his pro career.

Winning those two tournaments on the satellite tour has just confirmed that Isner is a guy with a bright future, which probably explains his wild card into this week's Legg Mason Classic tournament.

For those who only follow tennis at a glance, this is a big deal. The Legg Mason is one of the top hardcourt tournaments in the U.S., and is a big prep tournament for the U.S. Open. As such, it attracts some of the biggest names in the sport. This is the big leagues, and Isner has arrived today.

Isner's first-round opponent is a familiar one, England's Tim Henman. They'll play later this evening, when most of the first-round match play begins. I'm going to see if I can track down and exact match time. When I get it, I'll send it on to you. And rest assured, we'll be doing all we can to track down John soon to get an update on his pro tennis career.