Denis Istomin may have gone down in straight sets against overall No. 1 Rafael Nadal during the US Open on Friday night, but he didn't do so quietly. He forced a tie-break in the second and third sets, challenged Nadal for much of the third and generally spent the evening revealing an infectious personality.
The final score of the match was 6-2, 7-6, 7-5, but it wasn't about the score. Istomin had Nadal on his heels at times, stretched the match to nearly three hours, and delivered some fist-pumping shots that had the crowd shouting in delight.
Istomin wore his emotions on his sleeve, something that easily drew the Flushing Meadows audience in. After one particularly enthralling volley midway through a back-and-forth third set, Istomin pumped his fist wildly and could be seen shouting "Come on!"
The funny thing was, Istomin was far from in the match at that point, trailing by two sets and fighting for his life in the third. But he didn't care. He was in the moment. The outcome of the match wasn't nearly as entertaining as Istomin's emergence, and he showed plenty of fire and skill to make one believe he could make a name for himself in the sport in the near future.
If he does, consider Friday night step one.
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