By James Waterson Photo Credit: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
(August 22, 2011) To keen observers of American tennis, Mardy Fish’s recent success is no surprise.
While Roddick, Fish’s childhood friend and high school tennis teammate, was winning ATP Tour titles and beating the game’s top players, Fish was scrapping out wins on the challenger circuit. When Roddick won the US Open in 2003, Fish hadn’t made it past the third round of a Grand Slam tournament.
He did show some promise that year, though. He upset World No. 5 Carlos Moya in Sydney and at the Australian Open, and he made the finals of the ATP Masters tournament in Cincinnati, where he lost to Roddick in three sets.
It’s not a lie when Fish says that Roddick has had a better career than him. Roddick has won 30 titles compared to Fish’s six, ended 2003 as the No. 1 player, and has been in the top 10 for more than six years of his career.
Yet when I first saw Fish play on TV during his run to the finals of the ATP Masters Series tournament in Cincinnati in 2003, and watching him play this summer, it has become clear to me that he always had the potential to be better than Roddick.
Blessed with an effective serve, backhand and great touch around the net, the sum of Fish’s abilities indicated he would be in the top 20 for years.
Sure, Roddick has an explosive forehand and devastating serve, but his backhand, lack of skill at the net and his defensive approach to playing from the baseline have always been liabilities.
The difference over the years between these two has been Roddick’s competitive drive and his level of fitness. Until a year and a half ago, Fish hadn’t put much work into his conditioning, which forced him to go for winners when his positioning wasn’t right.
He has also struggled with injuries, and has seen his ranking drop below No. 100 numerous times.
Now, he has the stamina to grind from the baseline, hit offensive shots from both his backhand and his forehand, and he can serve and volley.
Essentially, he can now play the style of game that Roddick has worked hard to obtain for years.
At this point, it’s all about whether he believes in himself.
When asked about how he feels about being the top-ranked American going into the US Open, Fish is quick to praise Roddick and Blake as the better players.
“I don't necessarily feel like I'll be the top American. I will maybe be ranked the highest,” Fish said on Aug. 5. “But it feels strange to say that considering Andy has been the No. 1 player - and I've said it all along - the No. 1 player throughout our generation or my generation that I've played.”
It’s an interesting thing for someone ranked in the top 10 to say. Beating Roddick has always been a mental mountain for Fish to climb, as he has lost to him five times in the later stages of tournaments.
Perhaps it’s no coincidence that, after Fish improved his fitness, he defeated Roddick two times in a row in 2010.
Those wins have helped him turn a corner. He got off to a rough start this year, but has since put in career best performances in Rome and at Roland Garros (third round) and Wimbledon (quarterfinals).
The difference? Fish believes in his game.
“It's just that small belief that I really felt like I could win. Not that I wanted to win, I really felt like I could and maybe should win in that scenario,” he said.
Now that the stars have aligned for the 29-year-old, he is finally starting to fulfill his considerable potential.
With the likes of Novak Djokovic, Nadal and Roger Federer around, Fish will probably not win 30 titles or find his way to No. 1, but if he continues to play at such a high standard, maybe one day he can consider himself one of this generation’s best players.
He’s always had the ability, after all.
James Waterson is the editor of Tennis Now and has been a tennis fan and player for nearly 20 years. He can be reached at [email protected].