C83CE91D-247B-4D0D-8213-9959B571A754
By Richard Pagliaro
(August 20, 2010) They grew up together in Florida, trained together in Austin, Texas last week and good friends Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish will stage a reunion in the Cincinnati semifinals tomorrow. A fired-up Fish continued his inspired run through the US Open Series in edging third-seeded Andy Murray in a thrilling tie break tug of war, 6-7(7), 6-1, 7-6(5). Roddick followed his former high school basketball teammate onto the court and bounced a disinterested Novak Djokovic, 6-4, 7-5.
The Roddick-Fish semifinal is a rematch of the 2003 Western & Southern Financial Group Masters final, in which Roddick fought off two championship points, smacking an ace on one of them, to prevail 4-6, 7-6(3), 7-6(4). Roddick holds a 9-2 edge in their head-to-head series, but Fish won their most recent meeting last month at the Atlanta Tennis Championships
"There's gonna be no secrets out there for sure," Roddick said. "We spend as much time together as any two guys on Tour. He was down there in Austin practicing with me last week and now here we are."
Once cast as a talented, but a bit lazy underachiever unwilling to put in the intensive practice court labor top-10 tennis demands, Fish has reshaped his body by shedding 30 pounds and redefined himself as a player. Following knee surgery last September 28th, Fish looked into the eyes of his biggest opponent — himself — and questioned if he really had the deep desire necessary to stage a late-career revival.
His recent results have provided a resounding answer.
"I've had some injuries — some unlucky and some due ot lack of hard work — and quite honestly the the knee surgery was for lack of putting in time and effort," said Fish, whose father Tom is a teaching pro. "You try to look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself how bad do you want it? Turns out, I wanted it really bad."
Leave it to two guys who competed in everything from tennis to basketball to poker to racing their respective cars to class when they were high school seniors at Boca Raton Prep and housemates in the Roddick family home to give a much-needed shot in the arm to American tennis, which has taken a beating almost as bad as Roger Clemens' reputation in recent weeks.
No American man is ranked inside the top 10 for the first time since the ATP computer rankings were created in 1973. Yet by virtue of reaching the semifinals, Roddick, out of the top 10 for the first time since August 14th, 2006, will return to the top 10 when the new rankings are released on Monday anf Fish is projected to rise to about No. 25 for his semifinal surge.
A sleeker, faster, fitter Fish has lost weight and he's gained a sense of calm confidence on court that comes from both his singles success and the encouragement of veteran doubles partner Mark Knowles to apply his all-court acumen to singles.
Being fitter, has helped Fish play smarter. He's won 21 of his last 24 matches and has been on a torrid tear since July, posting a 15-1 record and winning back-to-back titles in Newport and Atlanta, where he topped Roddick, 7-6(5), 6-3, in the semifinals before defeating John Isner in the final.
"Mentally, just knowing I can stick it out there, not necessarily for the length of matches, but length of points in general (is helpful)," Fish said. "I've beenable to put in the work on the practice court."
Less than 16 hours after he held off French Open finalist Robin Soderling, 6-4, 6-7(7), 7-6(5), Roddick, who has been recovering from a mild case of mononucleosis, conceded he wasn't at full strength, but managed the match effectively to score his fourth consecutive victory over a listless Djokovic, who played like a man more interested in seeking shelter from the sun than formulating a way to work out a win.
Serving for the match at 5-4, Roddick double faulted to dump serve. But Djokovic could not take advantage, Roddick broke back. with a second shot to serve it out, Roddick got down 0-30 then promptly pulled his flame-thrower of a first serve to blow the second-seeded Serbian away.
Roddick rammed a 134 mph ace for 15-30 and ripped a 133 ace mph ace to save break point for deuce. Two points later, the two-time Cincinnati champion wrapped up the win to reach his first Western & Southern Financial Group Masters semifinal since he won the title in 2006.
It was an alarmingly timid effort from Djokovic, the Cincinnati runner-up in each of the past two years, who had a shot to regain the World No. 2 ranking if he had reached the final. The second-seeded Serbian spent much of the match gulping deep breaths of air between points and staring wide-eyed at his box as if looking for answers he could not summon himself.
"It was big; if we're being honest Novak didn't play a very good match today," Roddick said. I was able to sneak through that second set and get through it somehow."
Fish could hear Murray's fast feet gaining ground, but it was Fish who closed the gap on the ball blocking a lunging volley down the line and watching Murray's forehand pass float wide giving Fish match point. A weary, cranky Murray responded to his predicament by going deep: he smashed a ball completely out of the stadium.
It would the last meaningful shot Murray would make. Fish completed his third straight win over Murray this season by firing a service winner down the T, dropped to his knees and then wrapped his arms around his shoulders symbolically embracing the crowd in a group hug.
Ranked a season-low, No. 108 on March 1st, Fish, who has no ranking points to defend for the rest of the season, could make a run to the top 10 if he can replicate his quarterfinal result at the 2008 US Open — something that once seemed so ludicrously out of reach now seems realistically within the grasp of a man embracing his second shot at tennis fulfillment.