Fish Retires in Atlanta and Tipsarevic Struggles in Gstaad

By Erik Gudris

Photo Credit: Andy Kentla

(July 19, 2012) -- While Andy Roddick made a successful start last night at the BB&T Atlanta Open, defending champion Mardy Fish was forced out earlier than expected. Over in Gstaad, top seed Janko Tipsarevic struggled in his opening round match.

Roddick Wins While Fish Retires in Atlanta

Andy Roddick, who won his first ever ATP Tour title in Atlanta back in 2001, made a successful return to the event now known as the BB&T Atlanta Open last night. Roddick survived a tricky second round encounter with France's Nicolas Mahut that saw the Frenchman hit more aces than Roddick but ultimately lose to the former U.S. Open champion 7-6(3), 6-4.

Defending champion Mardy Fish, playing today against last year's semifinalist Gilles Muller, was leading by a set before he ran into the net post during a point midway in the second. After trying to continue the match Fish, still shaken by the accident, was forced to retire 6-4, 3-2.

Earlier in the day Australian Matthew Ebden reached his first ATP quarterfinal of 2012 with the help of 20 aces as he outlasted James Blake 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-4.

Tipsarevic Tested in Second Round of Gstaad

Fresh off of his title run in Stuttgart last week, top seed Janko Tipsarevic could be forgiven for being a tad tired as he headed into his second round match today at the Credit Agricole Suisse Open Gstaad. But Tipsarevic got all he could handle in Austrian qualifier Martin Fischer.

Fischer, currently ranked No. 245 in the world, surprised everyone by going up a set and a break in the match before Tipsarevic rallied to take the second set. The Serbian fell behind a break early in the third set but recovered to take a 5-3 lead and eventually served out the match 4-6, 7-6(1), 6-3.

Defending champion Marcel Granollers found himself checking out of the event early as he fell to Lukasz Kubot 6-4, 6-2 while Grigor Dimitrov continued his good form of late as he reached the quarterfinals with a 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-2 win over Germany's Dustin Brown.

Almagro and Monaco March into Hamburg Quarters

Top seed Nicolas Almagro once again continued his march to yet another clay court final as he reached the quarterfinals of the bet-at-home Open German Tennis Championships in Hamburg.

Almagro had little trouble taking care of his opponent 2009 champion Nikolay Davydenko with a 6-4, 6-3 win. Almagro next faces Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber who defeated Fabio Fognini 7-5, 6-2.

No. 3 seed Juan Monaco made the quarters of Hamburg for the first time in seven attempts after he beat Spain's Daniel Munoz-De La Nava 7-6(4), 6-3. Monaco will next play France's Jeremy Chardy.