RoastedLinuxMardy fishing up confidence
September 2nd 2008 22:23
Marding is fishing for an upset against Nadal
Fish was once ranked as high as No. 17 in 2004, back when, like Querrey, he was still considered a young and up-and-coming American.
But he fell all the way down to No. 341 in 2006, plagued by a left wrist injury. He climbed his way back at the end of that year, making it into the Top 50 in late 2006, and has stayed in the top 50 ever since.
But the experience of spending a few years out of the pro tennis spotlight has filled him with a certain hunger, and added depth to his perspective.
Fish is currently on a roll that might be his most impressive as a pro.
He reached the final of New Haven the week before the Open, his second final of the year after taking out Roger Federer to reach the final at Indian Wells in March. The American is playing in the quarters here after taking out No. 24-seed Paul-Henri Mathieu, No. 9 James Blake and No. 32 Gael Monfils.
Fish’s game rests on his ability to constantly attack his opponent.
Even on the changeovers he’s reminding himself, over and over, to stay aggressive and attack.
This was on display in his fourth-round win over Monfils, when he hit 49 winners and attacked the net 69 times, winning 45 of the points he came in on.
In looking forward to his match with Nadal, there’s an aggressive, almost confrontational approach from Fish that will be part of the change for the Spaniard after facing the younger Querrey.
Fish says confidence and maturity are the keys to his current success.
But there seems something even more driving him to new heights here. Fish is getting married at the end of September, and perhaps a life change, and the fact that he’s 26, not old but no longer one of the young guns, that is making him realize that he needs to capitalize on his opportunities now.
Fish will have a lot of people rooting for him when he steps out on court against Nadal, who not only struggled with his game in the roundof-16 encounter with Querrey but afterward complained about the amount of hard-court tennis on tour.
Fish is four inches shorter than Querrey, so the high bouncing topspin that still remained in Querrey's strike zone will be more difficult for Fish to handle.
But Querrey did show Fish, and everyone else, just how vulnerable Nadal is here at the Open, where despite his success at the French and Wimbledon, Nadal has never gone farther than the quarterfinals.
For Fish’s part, he feels Nadal doesn’t like playing against players who attack, and he says the courts at the Open are playing fast enough to help his serve and allow him to be effective with his approach shots and volleys.
Certainly from Fish on Wednesday, there will be no lack of intensity in his quest to reach his first Grand Slam semifinal.
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