US Open > Fish : "Les pizzas me manquent parfois"

Par Vincent Esse, mercredi 01 septembre 2010 à 11:11

Mardy Fish, qui a dû s'employer en cinq sets pour dominer Jan Hajek, est arrivé très détendu en conférence de presse où il est revenu avec beaucoup de simplicité sur sa perte de poids qui semble avoir redonné un coup de fouet à sa carrière : "Je me sens complètement différent, il suffit de voir certaines photos d'avant pour se rendre compte que ça n'allait pas, c'en est presque embarrassant, car en tant que sportifs, nous nous devons d'être en bonne forme, je me demande comment j'ai fait pendant toutes ces années ! Je me sens vraiment sain, et ça se répercute positivement sur le plan mental. Ce n'est pas facile tous les jours : il y a peu j'ai vu une pub pour Domino's Pizza qui m'a mis l'eau à la bouche, je me suis dit "j'adore ça", les pizzas me manquent parfois".

www.welovetennis.fr

US Open > SH - Fish enchaîne

Par Vincent Esse, jeudi 02 septembre 2010 à 19:19

Après des débuts agités, Mardy Fish s'est senti comme un poisson dans l'eau sur le Louis Armstrong où il a dominé Pablo Cuevas 7-5 6-0 6-2 en deux heures pile. L'Américain s'est fendu de 14 aces et d'un nombre décent de 32 points gagnants. Fish affrontera Arnaud Clément ou Eduardo Schwank pour une place en huitièmes.

www.welovetennis.fr

Fish sort Clément

5/09 00h22 - Tennis, US Open

Mardy Fish a éliminé Arnaud Clément au terme d’un match qui a été au bout des cinq sets.

Arnaud Clément n’est pas passé loin des 8es de finale… Mais il termine finalement sa course au stade des 16es. Le Français a été battu par l’Américain Mardy Fish ce samedi (4/6 6/3 6/4 1/6 6/3). Ce dernier retrouvera James Blake pour un duel 100% américain ou Novak Djokovic lors de sa prochaine sortie.

www.sport24.com

Brisbane 2011
Fish Australia Feature
(crédits: posté par ATPWorldTour / YouTube)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXEjyBjTO6Q&feature=channel

Brisbane 2011
Fish Interview
(crédits: posté par ATPWorldTour / YouTube)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxgZn7jWIzU&feature=related

Fish sur abandon

22/02 21h44 Delray Beach

Mardy Fish s’est qualifié pour le 2e tour du tournoi de Delray Beach suite à l’abandon de Bjorn Phau.

Mardy Fish n’est pas resté très longtemps sur le court ce mardi à Delray Beach. L’Américain a profité de l’abandon de l’Allemand Bjorn Phau pour valider son ticket pour le 2e tour (5/0 ab.) où il affrontera Ricardo Mello.

www.sport24.com

Del Potro tropezó ante Fish

DAVID MENAYO 29/03/11 - 18:16

Después de dos años consecutivos cayendo en octavos de final de Miami, David se clasificó en esta edición para los cuartos de final, donde tendrá que medirse al estadounidense Mardy Fish, décimocuarto favorito, que se deshizo del argentino Juan Martín del Potro por un tanteo de 7-5 y 7-6(3) tras dos horas y veinticinco minutos de juego en el partido que abrió la jornada en la Pista Central.

A pesar de que el servicio fue el claro dominador de los primeros compases, poco a poco fue igualándose el juego y viéndose más peloteos desde el fondo de la pista. Un guión tan físico como estratégico en el que ambos jugadores rayaron a un buen nivel. Las opciones al resto llegaron en el rush final del set. Fue Fish quien dispuso de la primera bola de break en el octavo juego, pero no la aprovechó. En el noveno, un juego que duró 14:35 minutos, Del Potro tuvo hasta cinco bolas de ruptura que no llevó a efecto -la segunda le dieron por mala una pelota que había entrado, según se comprombó luego con el 'Ojo de Halcón', pero el punto se tuvo que repetir-. Tampoco se quedó corto el estadounidense, que desaprovechó cuatro 'set points' en el décimo (0-40 incluído), error que enmendó en el duodécimo haciendo efectiva su séptima bola de break y su sexto punto de set.

A pesar del gran nivel exhibido ante Robin Soderling en la ronda anterior, 'Delpo' evidenció cansancio y falta de rodaje ante un Fish disfrazado de muro de frontón, rocoso para superar y devolviendo absolutamente todo. A pesar de ello, el tandilense logró reponerse a un tempranero break del yanqui (3-1, 3-2) merced a una derecha en carrera que se ha echado de menos en el circuito en el último año. En esta ocasión sí, el set se fue al tie-break, una muerte súbita que dominó de principio a fin Fish para cerrar el choque por la vía rápida. Con esta victoria, Fish, hoy número 15 del mundo, no sólo se asegura firmar su mejor registro en Miami -los octavos de final del año pasado donde cayó ante Mikhail Youzhny-, sino que además se queda a una victoria de ser el estadounidense mejor clasificado en el ranking ATP. Ferrer y Fish se han enfrentado hasta la fecha en seis ocasiones, repartiéndose tres victorias cada tenista. Sin embargo, el último duelo entre ambos se remonta a la tercera ronda del Masters 1.000 de París de 2007, donde el triunfo fue para el español (6-1, 6-4).

www.marca.com

Fish, première

Le 30/03/2011 à 22:32 | Mis à jour le 31/03/2011 à 00:20

Tombeur (7-5, 6-2 en 1h22') de David Ferrer (n°6) mercredi, Mardy Fish (n°14) décroche sa première demi-finale à Miami. Il sera n°1 américain au prochain classement ATP.

Le malheur des uns... Vous connaissez la suite. Eliminé dès le 2e tour par Pablo Cuevas, Andy Roddick (n°8 ) perdra dès lundi les points de son titre conquis en 2010 face à Tomas Berdych. Présent dans le dernier carré sans avoir concédé le moindre set, son ami Mardy Fish, qui occupe actuellement le meilleur classement de sa carrière (15e), lui chipera sa place au sommet de la hiérarchie US. Efficace au service (91% des points gagnés derrière sa première, aucun break concédé) et à la volée (10/15), le médaillé d'argent des Jeux Olympiques d'Athènes, en 2004, profite d'un trou d'air de David Ferrer dans le onzième jeu de la première manche (deux doubles) pour virer en tête (6-5 puis 7-5).

Le chant du cygne pour l'Espagnol, victime de maux d'estomac, qui, s'il se reprend d'entrée de seconde manche (1-0), encaisse... cinq jeux de rang (1-5), multipliant les fautes directes (30 au total). Un dernier jeu de service maîtrisé et Mardy Fish décroche une troisième demi-finale en 2011 (après Memphis et Delray Beach), où il retrouvera Kevin Anderson ou Novak Djokovic (n°2), invaincu cette saison. «Je ne pense pas pouvoir me sentir comme le numéro 1 de mon pays. Andy mène une belle carrière et il a toujours été parmi les meilleurs de notre génération, a admis Fish. David ne rate pas autant d'habitude. Je ne l'ai pas senti à l'aise et j'en ai tiré profit même s'il n'était pas possible de jouer son meilleur tennis à cause du vent (...) Intégrer le Top 10 fait partie de mes objectifs. Je vais tout faire pour y parvenir. »

www.lequipe.fr

ATP World Tour Uncovered
Wednesday interview : Mardy Fish

(credits : ATP)

http://www.atpworldtour.com/Tennis/Media/Videos/2011/03-Miami/Miami-2011-Wednesday-Interview-Fish.aspx

ATP: Fish, nouveau n°1 américain devant Roddick

Petite révolution dans le paysage tennistique américain. Battu au deuxième tour à Miami alors qu'il avait remporté le tournoi l'an dernier, Andy Roddick va perdre des points au classement ATP et sortir du Top 10 lundi. Grâce à sa demi-finale en Floride, voire peut-être mieux, Mardy Fish va dépasser son compatriote pour la première fois de sa carrière. A noter que Roddick était le n°1 américain depuis août 2008...

www.sports.fr

Miami (H) : McEnroe félicite Fish



En dominant l’Espagnol David Ferrer (7-5, 6-2) en quarts de finale du Masters 1000 de Miami, Mardy Fish va déloger dès lundi Andy Roddick du leadership américain. John McEnroe, vainqueur de sept tournois du Grand Chelem, a tenu à réagir sur cette prise de pouvoir.

Vainqueur de l’Espagnol David Ferrer (7-5, 6-2), Mardy Fish s’est qualifié pour les demi-finales du Masters 1000 de Miami. Et va par la même occasion devenir le nouveau n°1 américain dès lundi au détriment d’Andy Roddick. John McEnroe croit en lui pour les prochains mois. « Je crois que le plus gros objectif de Mardy est qu’il entre dans le Top 10. Il peut être serein pour le reste de la saison et a une bonne chance de finir dans les dix premiers, voire mieux », a t-il déclaré sur le site officiel de l’ATP. Contre Novak Djokovic, Mardy Fish vise une quatrième finale dans un Masters 1000, après Cincinnati (2003, 2010) et Indian Wells (2008).

www.sport365.fr

Mardy Fish está que no cree en nadie

Mardy Fish, quien está jugando un tenis impecable, se enfrentará ahora al serbio Novak Djokovic en semifinales. AP



El estadounidense muestra un tenis agresivo y accede por primera vez a las semifinales
MIAMI, FLORIDA (31/MAR/2011).- Mardy Fish, decimocuarto sembrado, se convierte en el tenista estadounidense número uno, tras vencer al español David Ferrer, sexto favorito, con parciales de 7-5, 6-2, y se coloca en semifinales del torneo Key Biscayne, en Miami, de la Serie Masters 1000 en la ATP y categoría Premier en la WTA, que se disputa en canchas duras.

El estadounidense chocará ahora contra el serbio Novak Djokovic segundo cabeza de serie, quien derrotó al sudafricano Kevin Anderson en sets consecutivos, 6-4, 6-2.

“Realmente no me sentí bien, sobre todo en el segundo set, al sentirme algo mal, parece que he comido demasiado y no me siento bien del estómago, pero sin ánimo de justificar la derrota, él (Fish) jugó un buen partido, jugó mucho mejor que yo” declaró Ferrer.

El estadounidense hizo un partido magistral, con un gran servicio que efectivizó en un 65%, y con el saque en su poder logró el punto para set en el primer parcial por una fallida devolución del español, tras un potente servicio de 129 millas por hora.

Fish consiguió 17 puntos ganadores, mientras que su oponente cometió 26 errores no forzados y cinco doble faltas.

Esta victoria convertirá al estadounidense el próximo lunes (cuando se actualice el ránking mundial de la ATP) en el número uno de su país, quedando en el undécimo puesto, mientras que Andy Roddick caerá del octavo al decimocuarto después de su eliminación en Miami, torneo al que llegaba como campeón defensor.

“Él (Roddick) ha ganado más partidos que yo, más torneos que yo, y más partidos de Copa Davis. Entonces, no pienso que yo podría sentirme el número uno de Estados Unidos”, manifestó Fish.

Ferrer, quien se ha mantenido en el Top 15 durante los últimos cinco años, se quedó con las ganas de igualar su mejor actuación en Miami, donde llegó a semifinales dos años seguidos (2005 y 2006), mientras que Fish accede por primera vez a esta instancia del torneo, que reparte nueve millones de dólares en premios.

“El secreto para mantenerme entre los 15 mejores por tanto tiempo es el trabajo y dedicación”, reconoció el ibérico.

PARA SABER
Hoy por la tarde se llevarán a cabo los juegos de cuartos de final del suizo Roger Federer ante el francés Gilles Simon, y el español Rafael Nadal contra el checo Tomas Berdych. De ganar Federer y Nadal sus respectivos encuentros, se encontrarían en la semifinal del masters de Miami.

http://www.informador.com.mx

Fish futur N.1 américain



Grâce à sa présence en demi-finales du Masters de Miami, Mardy Fish (actuel 15e) deviendra l'Américain le mieux classé à l'ATP lundi. Andy Roddick, tenant du titre déchu par l'Uruguayen Pablo Cuevas au 2e tour, perdra le bénéfice de ses 1000 points glanés l'an passé en Floride et quittera le Top 10.

"Vu la carrière d'Andy, je ne me sentirais jamais comme le N.1 américain". A l'entendre, Mardy Fish aurait presque honte d'être bientôt le meilleur US classé l 'ATP lundi prochain. Et pourtant, ce sera bien le cas : pour la première fois de sa carrière, l'actuel N.15 dépassera bien A-Rod, déchu de son titre à Miami par le modeste Uruguayen Pablo Cuevas dès le 2e tour du Masters floridien. Une contre-performance qui lui coûte 1000 points et sa place dans le Top 10, une fois encore. Le dernier à l'avoir dépassé au classement était James Blake en 2008 et 2006.

En bon résident floridien, l'homme de Tampa, actuel 15 joueur mondial, a pris la mesure de Julien Benneteau, Richard Gasquet, Juan Martin Del Potro, puis David Ferrer en quarts de finale, pour entrer dans le dernier carré de Miami pour la première fois de sa carrière. C'est toutefois la quatrième fois qu'il jouera les demi-finales d'un Masters 1000 après Cincinnati 2010 et 2003 et Indian Wells 2008. Et la troisième en quatre tournois cette saison, après Memphis et Delray Beach en février.

Patrick McEnroe, ancien capitaine de Coupe Davis des Etats-Unis, s'en est réjoui, en tout cas, pour lui. "Depuis ce qu'il réalise sur ces deux dernières années, je ne peux être que content et fier de ce qu'il a fait. Je sais que son objectif principal est d'entrer dans le Top 10 mondial. Il est très proche d'y parvenir et c'est une étape importante pour lui. S'il y parvient (et je touche du bois), il peut y rester tout au long de l'année s'il reste en bonne santé". Lundi, Fish sera N.1 américain mais n'aura pas encore acté sa présence dans le Top 10. Il pourrait y entrer en gagnant en Floride. Novak Djokovic, son prochain adversaire, sera content de l'apprendre.

www.eurosport.fr

An interview with Mardy Fish

Miami, Fl., U.S.A.
29.02.2011
M. FISH/J. Del Potro
7 5, 7 6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You're the last American in the tournament, men and women. You may be the No. 1 American at the end of this tournament. You're out there and it sounded like you were playing in South America. You're a native Floridian. What did you make of it?
MARDY FISH: I didn't know where I was. He certainly has a lot of support here. I didn't think it was going to be that much. He certainly had the crowd on his side, so it didn't you know, I'm not sure where we were playing out there today.
No, I did hear some people rooting for me. I appreciate that.

Q. Are you ready to wave the banner for the USA here the rest of the way?
MARDY FISH: I hope so. Look, I've got a tough match tomorrow. I'm excited to be in the position that I'm in. Certainly didn't feel great for the past couple months. In Indian Wells I had a quick exit there, so it's nice to be in the position that I'm in.

Q. How do you feel about the court speed here? Roger Federer last night compared it to a clay court. He said you can't slide. That's the only difference. Isn't it strange that all these hard courts are playing so slow?
MARDY FISH: Yeah, I would assume to be honest, the difference between night and day playing here is night and day.
Even in Indian Wells when you can play during the day and you can play in the heat it plays pretty quickly, I think. I mean, not quickly, but I mean, it plays you know, you can use your serve a little bit. You can get free points. You can play aggressive tennis during the day.
I haven't played at night here. I've requested to play during the day every single match, and thankfully they've given me that. I just know that it's extremely slow at night. You know, the humidity drops a little bit, the temperature drops a little bit, and the balls get pretty big.
Yeah, I mean, it's frustrating because you want some big tournaments to be on faster surfaces, and there just isn't any.

Q. You had some pretty big games out there with break points. What was the key to getting through them? You had all those set points and break points.
MARDY FISH: Yeah, it was one of those matches that, you know, a couple points here and there and you lose the match even worse than the score that I won.
You know, to be honest, that's tennis. I mean, it's a brutal game in that sense. He probably had a ton of break points. I had a few, as well, and converted on two of them; he got me on one.
You know, it was pretty high quality tennis for the better part of it, I think. I'm sure he came off thinking he played pretty well. And I played great.

Q. You have been doing this for a dozen years. There's always been somebody over you.
MARDY FISH: Yeah.

Q. Pete, Andre, Andy, even James. I know you try not to think about it, but what would it be like to be the top player?
MARDY FISH: I don't know. You just kind of feel like coming through with Andy and the career that he's put together, you really feel like it would probably be pretty tough to still feel like I was the No. 1 American.
I mean, his career put on my career, he could put it on top of mine 15 times. I mean, he's won so many more matches, so many more tournaments, you know, so many more Davis Cup matches.
So I don't think I would ever feel like the No. 1, even though, you know, if I were to win tomorrow the number next to my name would be smaller than his.

Q. Twelve months ago I remember you standing in this room with a bag of ice on your knee, and you were telling us how you lost so much weight. Now, twelve months later you are on the verge of being the No. 1 American. Can you pinpoint a couple of things that actually led you to where you are now?
MARDY FISH: Ah, a few injuries, you know, the knee surgery that I had to put myself in the position to have that time, you know, to have that three or four months to where I could actually lose the weight, could actually change my lifestyle, my eating habits.
You know, and that's an injury that I had to where I was it was for lack of work ethic. It was for lack of discipline, not being, you know, a true professional in every sense of the word.
So, you know, we got together, Christian and I got together, and we just said, You know, there are some things that we'd still like to do, that we'd still like to do in this sport. I've got some time still and still feel relatively young probably won't tonight, but I still feel relatively young and, you know, I've had some years where I haven't played very many matches, and I'll hopefully get those on the backhand.

Q. Most guys on the tour are afraid to take a lot of time off. Would that be a blessing, too, with the season being so long? Is it nice to take a few months?
MARDY FISH: It sure is, yeah. If I never had that knee surgery, I wouldn't have had the time to, you know, to lose you needed two months straight with, you know, without basically training. I mean, I couldn't train for six weeks, you know, apart from the rehab that we did with the knee.
So, you know, if you're trying to lose and trying to lose a ton of weight quickly, you know, you've got to eat, eat and fuel your body when you're training and playing and trying to get better. And, you know, I was able to go the other way and not eat as much. I couldn't have trained how I was eating.
You know, I just tried to get in the best shape I could and then see where it took me.

Q. Did you have some problems, physical problems, that kept you out of Ecuador and the Davis Cup?
MARDY FISH: Yeah. I had a thyroid problem that is now past me. Certainly playing a match like today would [sic] have come out pretty good if I still had it. We have gotten my blood work done the past three months, you know, every five days or so, and monitoring it.
It was at its worst in Australia, but I didn't know what I had at the time. I got the results back after I played that tournament, and have stayed on it now.

Q. Are you on certain medication for it, or is the thyroid, was it a temporary thing?
MARDY FISH: No, it was basically time that your body reacts to it. I had a hyperthyroid, and then it was supposed to go down to a hypothyroid, and then came back up to normal. I guess you can't take anything for the hyper, and it was pretty high.

Q. Was that cramps at the end of the tiebreaker?
MARDY FISH: Yeah, it sure was. (Smiling.)
I was very lucky. Probably 5 Love I started feeling some twinges, and then it just came. It's extremely humid. Certainly I'm used to these conditions growing up here, but I haven't played a match in these conditions in a while, obviously.
It was much more pleasant when I played Gasquet. There was a little more wind, so I didn't have to work as hard. It was obviously a pretty physical two sets, two and a half hours.

Q. So you were not wanting to play a third set?
MARDY FISH: Yeah, I didn't. I didn't want to play I would not have recovered from it either. I was struggling just to serve there that last point.

Q. In terms of this makeover, Mardy, do you feel a sense of urgency like you got to get it done because the clock is ticking, or is it more like a rediscovery of a way of life?
MARDY FISH: It's just really not taking things for granted anymore. You know, trying to understand, you know, what goes with winning and losing, just trying to realize that obviously you're out there by yourself, but it's more of a team thing than anything else. You have a lot of people behind you that really care and you want to do well for them, too.
You know, so, yeah, it was a lot of changes. You know, started obviously with the diet, and then I started working harder, to be honest. I mean, I sort of pride myself in my fitness now, trying to be the fittest guy out here, trying to play matches like that and still staying fresh.

Q. You have reflected a couple of times on your work ethic and being the true professional that you are now, and you see the results that the diet and other changes are having. Do you ever reflect on what results you might attain, you might have attained, if you were 20 years old with this sort of outlook?
MARDY FISH: Yeah. I mean no, I mean, just because there's nothing I can do about it. I can't go back. And that was me. I mean, that was an immature, you know, person who got thrown in at you know, I was 20, 21 years old when I made the finals of Cincinnati that year in 2003 and finished 20 in the world and thought it was going to come pretty easily.
I just simply wasn't as mature then as I am now. It's been a good ride, you know. I mean, certainly been through a lot of ups and downs, and hopefully I can still have a few years left to have some good ups and finish my career on a high note.

Q. The other day Del Potro spoke of you almost like you were a friend. He said he liked you. Could you just talk about what, if any, relationship you have with him.
MARDY FISH: Yeah, we've played doubles in Madrid. We were going to play doubles again two years ago we played doubles in Madrid, this year. I don't play doubles with too many guys outside of James and Andy, so he's certainly one of the best guys around.
His team, you know, they just play there's no there's no nonsense, you know, coming from his box when you're playing or yelling or screaming. There's no screaming from him. He's just a professional. It's pretty impressive at his age.
He's one of the best guys out there, for sure.

Q. Could you talk about your next match against David Ferrer.
MARDY FISH: Yeah, no, it's gonna be tough. He's obviously 6 in the world for a reason. He's had a lot of great results on every surface. You know, he's gonna make you play for every ball, every point.
That's where he makes his living. He runs every ball down. He's as fit as anyone out here. It will be a very tough match.

Q. We are from Argentina. Two questions: First, your opinion about Juan Martin's tennis level. The second one, he told us you are close friends. You have said something, but at the end of the match, you said something to him.
MARDY FISH: Yeah.

Q. What was that?
MARDY FISH: Well, we just kind of I played him in Delray Beach. I mean, you know, he's a guy that tennis certainly missed. You know, just being a friend, and a close friend, I missed him. We all missed him. Just, you know, my wife knows him well. We had a great time playing doubles in Madrid. We're going to play again this year there. I just said, It's great to have you back. You know, Sorry for today, but it's great to have you back.
And then on the same you know, on the level of his play, he's certainly the way he played two days ago playing Robin, you know, kind of shows you where he's at, you know. He can play with anyone now.
His results are it's only a matter of time. If you're not in the top 5 in the world, you can just add a number to your ranking because he's gonna be up there in no time.

Q. He said that you have been with him when he was injured. Can you comment?
MARDY FISH: I have his phone number and we text, and, you know, just keep up. You know, we're friends, good friends.

Q. I know you're not comfortable with the fact that you could be the leading American with Andy's situation in mind. But on a personal level, at the ripe old age of 29, what does it mean to you going to what's going to be a career high ranking?
MARDY FISH: Um, it means a lot. I mean, it means that the hard work that we have put in is paying off. You know, you want to try to you know, when it's all said and done, you want to try to put yourself in the best situations and be in the best situations and be in all situations.
I mean, I have been in I have never been past the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam. Apart from that, I've played a lot of big matches. Played a Davis Cup final match, Masters Series finals, and you just try to like I said, when it's all said and done, you're gonna want to try to be in every position possible.
Being the No. 1 American would be something that would be pretty cool to tell my kids about.

Q. What are your thoughts for the Davis Cup game against Spain?
MARDY FISH: It's very exciting. Obviously it's a few months away now, but it's going to be in Austin where Andy lives, and he couldn't be more excited about it. Obviously we are, too. With Nadal committing to play, I mean, probably will be hopefully the best tie we've ever had.

Q. Is the diet still as strict? Are you...
MARDY FISH: No, not as strict. I was very, very disciplined when I lost all the weight. And then, you know, now you try to maintain. You cheat every once in a while. But certainly weeks of matches I'm still very disciplined.

Q. What are some of the things, some of the cravings that you have?
MARDY FISH: Oh, cravings?

Q. Or things you cheat...
MARDY FISH: I have a glass of wine every now and then when I'm cheating a little bit. I try not to have any alcohol, you know, during weeks prior and obviously during the tournaments. Pizza is really good. Tastes really good to me. (Smiling.)
Burgers. Christian had a burger the other day. It looked really good.

Q. What do you like on your pizza?
MARDY FISH: Just cheese. I don't like anything to get in the way of it. (Laughter.)
I miss those things, sure.


SOURCE

An interview with Mardy Fish

Miami, Fl., U.S.A.
30.02.2011
M. FISH/D. Ferrer
7 5, 6 2

THE MODERATOR: Mardy is now the top American with a career high ranking of 11.

Q. When you trash talk Andy Roddick, how does it go?
MARDY FISH: Doesn't start with tennis. Somewhere around the golf course, his basketball game maybe. Mostly his golf game because he likes to play a lot golf. I've played my entire life, so I got a few years ahead of him.
But it definitely doesn't have anything to do with tennis.

Q. So this subject is off limits between you two?
MARDY FISH: Yeah. I mean, I don't know. You know, I've never been in this position before. Obviously it's very humbling. This is a pretty big country, a lot of people playing tennis. So I'll try to put it into perspective, and I will.
No. 11, career high No. 11 sounds really good, too. You know, these are the rewards that come with working as hard as I did.

Q. Is there a part of you that kind of says, Gee, maybe I'm sorry I didn't work this hard a bunch of years ago, what I might have missed, or you can't look back?
MARDY FISH: You know, I was who I was when I was 21 and 24 and 23. You know, there's just not one ounce in my body that goes back to the past. I had some really good results. I won a silver medal at the Olympics. There's not very many people that have done that.
I mean, I did a lot of cool things. I played a lot of good matches. You know, you can't be as mature at 21 as you are now, as I am now. Never look back.

Q. Did you suspect David was ailing in any way? Didn't seem like his usual self out there.
MARDY FISH: No, I just assumed obviously he missed a lot more, especially in the second set, than he normally does. I thought he played fine in the first set. I was fighting; he was fighting me off a little bit. We were into a battle there at 5 All.
Basically double faulted twice in a row at deuce to give me the game. The conditions were conditions in a sense that the ball is not exactly where you want it to be with the wind like that.
So you know going out there and I've played in these conditions hundreds of times, thousands of times more than he has just because I practiced in it almost every day growing up.
You know you're not going to play well going out there. I know that in the back of my mind. Not nearly as well as I played yesterday, because the ball is not going to be in the position I want it to be in, the wind might take the ball longer or shorter than yesterday, and you're not going to be as dialed in.
I knew that. I tried to use it to my advantage.

Q. Do you watch old videos or whatever, tapes of yourself as a player? Can you just talk about how you looked as a player then and what you're doing now?
MARDY FISH: Yeah, I think they put in my charity event program no, they put in a magazine an article of my foundation this year, like a picture from 2006. I was pretty pissed off about that. (Smiling.)
Didn't look like me really anymore. But my dad was trying to convince me that it was all about the kids. (Smiling.)

Q. Even your style of play, forgetting about the physical...
MARDY FISH: Yeah, I mean, look, I had to go for different I had to play differently. You know, there were matches when I felt good, and I could always play in the heat pretty well, but I could never really last that long.
So, yeah, there comes with fitness comes a mental edge for sure that I used to never have.

Q. During the match, were you at all thinking about this No. 11 situation? If so, how much of it were you able to put out of your mind?
MARDY FISH: Never. I'm in a quarterfinals of a Masters Series. I've been in the quarterfinals now four times in Masters Series, and I've won every quarterfinal match and every semifinal match that I've been in this Masters Series.
I would like to be there more, put myself in that position more often. But, no, I never thought it about it once during the match.

Q. Did you receive any messages from your fellow American colleagues?
MARDY FISH: I haven't looked yet, but I'm sure. I mean, not only these guys colleagues and people that we play against week in and week out, these are my best friends.
So put them in this position I would be extremely excited for them, and hopefully they for me, too.

Q. I know it's tough to comment or analyze another guy's game, but this guy has been really consistent and his ranking is way up there in the top 10.
MARDY FISH: Ferrer?

Q. Yeah. But he seems to have trouble punching through it even at Masters Series level.
MARDY FISH: No, this guy's got some solid results. He's got results on every surface. I think he's made the quarterfinals of Wimbledon. He's put himself in the semifinals of Australia and the US Open at different times.
He's got tournament wins on clay, on indoor hardcourts, fast courts, slow courts, doesn't matter. The guy is one of the fittest guys in the world in any sport. Guy can run forever. You know, he battles and plays hard.
You respect the heck out of him just the way he plays. He's one of my favorite players to watch. Fights for everything. There's nothing he doesn't go out and blow anybody off the court. I respect the heck out of his career.
It's tough to play like that. You've got to be real strong.

Q. In the second set he's obviously struggling and the match is getting away from him. When he lobs the ball at the crying baby, what was your reaction?
MARDY FISH: I didn't see him do that. I obviously know that it's going on. He'd probably take that one back if he could. He's a very nice guy. Obviously flustered.

Q. He didn't hit it that hard.
MARDY FISH: Yeah, I mean, he stopped. There was a lot people in the crowd. It's going to happen.

Q. I want to ask about the potential of Djokovic, if you were to play him. Talk about what he's doing this year.
MARDY FISH: Yeah, I mean, it's pretty incredible, to be honest. Watching him play and the way that he's played, it's not that I mean, he's playing so well. He has zero weaknesses right now.
Obviously confidence is a huge part of our sport, and he's got all of it right now. Guy moves as good or better than anyone on a hardcourt surface. You know, sometimes if you get really, really picky, his forehand isn't as strong as his backhand.
He's hitting his forehand as good as anyone in the world. His backhand, two handed backhand is the best two handed backhand in my opinion in the world. And he's serving well again. He had some serving trouble there for a little bit, maybe last year at this time. He's certainly rectified that.
So it's not to be honest, it's really not that surprising when you watch him play that he hasn't lost yet, because he's playing so well. He's not going to win every single match this year. Whether it be this week or in July, he's not going to win every one. It's just not possible.
So hopefully it can be me.

Q. Speaking of serving, have you ever felt more confident on your serve, first or second?
MARDY FISH: Yeah, I mean, look, I've served well over my career. I served 43 aces in one two out of three set match. I've served well before.
But to be able to be confident enough to not have to press as much is key. I can get free points on my serve; I know that. But then when the shot's not there, I don't have to press. I don't have to go for too much.
I didn't know how I was going to feel coming into today, especially having such a hard fought match yesterday. It was hot and humid yesterday. I just haven't played in those conditions in a long time. That was partly the problem there in the end.
Just tried to hydrate as much as I could and get back long winded answer I was able to get free points today and save myself a little bit. That's huge.

Q. You're mixing it up real well. You're hitting an ace and you look at the clock and you see that it's nowhere near the max service speed. Is it your spin? Is it your placement?
MARDY FISH: Well, look, I tend to overserve. I served 37% first serve percentage against Gasquet. I know he's a very good returner, and so sometimes in the back of your mind you're trying to overserve and hit it that much too hard.
So we worked on that. We had a day off after that match and did a lot serving. We worked on the ball toss. We worked on trying to I mean, you're almost like a pitcher. If you have a good serve and you want to or if you have a serve that can win you free points, especially against someone like him that can lock in on the return and put every single one back Novak won't be any different than that, or better.
So I'll have to mix up speed, spins, kicks, flats, hard, slice, all that stuff, just to keep him off balance.

Q. Obviously No. 11, you're flirting with top 10. Is that a goal for you?
MARDY FISH: Yeah, that's a huge goal. I've been pretty vocal about that basically since last summer. Close, I guess. Every match, every point that I get, that's the goal.

Q. I want to ask on the off chance that Kevin Anderson were to win...
MARDY FISH: He's beaten him before. He's beaten him here before.

Q. Yeah, and no one is talking about him. Talk about Kevin.
MARDY FISH: No, he's a guy that serves extremely well. Great athlete for his size. He's played well this year. He's won a tournament in South Africa. Had some good results and beat some good players this week, you know, so he'll give him some trouble.
You got to get free points against Novak. If you don't, he's going to win most groundstroke rallies. You got to get to the net. He likes to come to the net a little bit. You can't just loop the ball around the court against him. Like I said, he moves too well and he's too solid right now.
I would expect him to give him some trouble. That being said, he could go out there and beat him 1 1. The guy's playing so well.

Q. What triggers the decision to serve and volley suddenly? Is it the score? The moment?
MARDY FISH: Sometimes it's the score. Sometimes it's a position where, you know, maybe I'm up in the score and I just want to plant that small seed that you can't just keep bringing the ball back on the return with ease.
If you do, I'm going to come in and try to put it away. I have my patterns, like everybody else does, but I'm trying to keep an aggressive I'm an aggressive style of player. I can play better defense than I used to because of my fitness, and I can rely on that sometimes.
But I have to keep the mentality of staying aggressive, and that helps a lot.

Q. On the points of confidence and motivation, what you've achieved over here, how much more confidence and motivation do you think it's going to provide you with?
MARDY FISH: Yeah, I mean, it only helps, obviously. Like I said before, confidence is such a huge part of our sport. Obviously I'm still here, but I'd love to do well on the clay. I like playing on it. I've won a tournament on it, and I haven't had huge results if Europe, but I feel like I can do well, be seeded in those events now, which helps. I don't have to play somebody in the top 15 in the world in the first two rounds.
I've won matches there. I was close in the French Open. Lost 10 8 in the fifth to Ljubicic in the second round. So I've won matches there. I'm very much looking forward to hopefully being healthy and playing a full clay court season and seeing how well I can do there.

Q. Going back to Djokovic for one second, you said at the moment he has no weaknesses. One of them has that he doesn't perform that well in heat. You said you grew up playing in this kind of climate. Do you think that could be a weakness now?
MARDY FISH: Maybe. I never thought about it like that. I'm assuming that with as many matches he's played he's pretty fit as well. I love playing in the heat. I can't speak for him.
I'm not sure of his results off the top of my head. I think, you know, he's won Canada before, but I don't think he's ever won Cincinnati. It's as hot in Cincinnati as it is anywhere. I can't speak for him. It's a good question.
I know how much I enjoy playing in it. It speeds the court up pretty good for me. Playing during the day here and playing at night are two completely different tournaments, so hopefully we can play during the day.

Q. I know that you grew up around Vero and all that. What are your South Florida ties now?
MARDY FISH: Well, just from my family living in Vero Beach, and my best friends still live there. Still have a lot have friends down in Boca. Friends here in Miami. So it's always fun coming down here. And playing in Delray Beach, I usually try to get there every year.
You know, so family and best friends are my ties, I guess.

Q. Would you rather play in the heat?
MARDY FISH: I would, yeah. I would prefer to play in hot weather. You know, I would prefer to play in humid weather. Probably 80% of it is because I know how to react in it and act in it and how to handle it.
20% is probably because I know the other guy doesn't like it as much as I do. That's a mental thing.

Q. You requested day matches for the whole tournament?
MARDY FISH: I request day matches in every single tournament.

Q. Your dad's one of the few parents who have qualified to be like a coach or mentor, be hands on, yet they've always seemed to take a he and your mom a back seat.
MARDY FISH: Back seat is a strong word with him. He's very active in my career. Coaching wise he's taken a back seat. He's very helpful and been a huge part of my success. He's extremely supportive, extremely positive. That's been a huge help with me over the years.
He's sort of had the approach of learn on your own kind of thing. I'll help you in any way I can, but if you're going to make mistakes, you're going to make your mistakes and figure it out on your own.
So he's certainly been at the top of the list as far as my success goes.

Q. Sergio Garcia a new buddy?
MARDY FISH: No, we've known each other for a long time. He's a huge tennis fan. He has a good game on his own. He's probably the best golfing tennis player. Put golf and tennis together, I think I got him, though. And you can tell him I said that.

Q. Have you golfed with him?
MARDY FISH: Yeah, and he's played tennis with us. He hit with Querrey the other day. He loves it. He'll be out there again on Friday.


SOURCE

Fish continue

8/04 08h00 - Tennis, Houston

Mardy Fish réussi son entrée en lice au tournoi de Houston avec une victoire face à Albert Ramos-Vinolas (6/3 6/4).

N°1 américain depuis quelques jours seulement, Mardy Fish a fait honneur à son nouveau statut en s’imposant logiquement sur la terre battue de Houston face à l’Espagnol Albert Ramos-Vinolas (6/3 6/4).

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Fish et Isner au tapis

9/04 08h47 - Tennis, Houston

Mardy Fish et John Isner ont été éliminés la nuit dernière lors des quarts de finale du tournoi de Houston.

Les favoris n’étaient pas à la fête la nuit dernière. Les trois têtes de série les mieux classées encore en lice au stade des quarts de finale ont en effet pris la porte à Houston. Mardy Fish a été battu par Kei Nishikori (6/3 6/2). John Isner a été sorti par Ivo Karlovic (7/6 6/7 7/6) et Guillermo Garcia-Lopez a perdu contre Pablo Cuevas (1/6 7/6 6/3). Les demi-finales opposeront Nishikori à Cuevas et Karlovic au dernier Américain en lice, Ryan Sweeting.

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