Last night’s U.S. Open featured something truly amazing:

American tennis fans rooting against an American tennis player.

Specifically, the match between 13th-seeded American John Isner and unseeded Gael Monfils in which the (most certainly drunk) New York crowd was solidly behind the Frenchman.

No question – with Isner up two sets to none, the French-fried spectators just wanted more tennis.

But really (see around 2:00).

AP story via ABC News:

Isner ‘Disappointed’ by Fans’ Support for Open Foe

An American man playing at the American Grand Slam tournament, John Isner found it hard to believe so many U.S. Open spectators were cheering so vigorously for his French opponent, Gael Monfils.

They clapped rhythmically while chanting, “Let’s go, Monfils!” They loudly sang his last name between points. They rose to their feet and raucously saluted Monfils’ best shots. They applauded faults and other miscues by the 13th-seeded Isner, the highest-ranked U.S. man, who eventually pulled out a 7-5, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (4) victory Thursday night.

“I was a little bit disappointed in that, actually. Not going to sugarcoat it,” said Isner, who reached the third round at Flushing Meadows for the fifth consecutive year. “If I was playing in France, it certainly wouldn’t be like that.”

(Not for nothing, but Monfils looks more like a Dr. Seuss character every year. “He should tour in Monfilsical the Musical when he retires,” a Boston wag of our acquaintance noted.)

Isner now faces No. 22 Philipp Kohlschreiber in the third round. Let’s hope the drunken New Yorkers don’t go all Germanic on him.