Fish Earns SF Berth, Top Dog Status

© Getty ImagesMardy Fish won 30 of 33 points on his first serve.

Mardy Fish produced another quality performance at the Sony Ericsson Open, defeating No. 6 seed David Ferrer 7-5, 6-2 in the quarter-finals of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Miami.

The conditions were tough for both players, but Fish handled the circumstances better, continuing to pressure his opponent when the Spaniard became frustrated.  "You know you're not going to play well going out there… the ball is not exactly where you want it to be with the wind like that,” said Fish. 

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“I know that in the back of my mind… [I did not play] 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.”

Fish, the lone American left in either singles draw, kept alive the possibility of a player from the United States winning the men's event for a second consecutive season. Andy Roddick took home the trophy in 2010 but was bounced in the second round last week. With the win, Fish will become the highest-ranked American for the first time on Monday, overtaking Roddick.

Tennis analyst and Fish’s former Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe is thrilled about the landmark Fish will acquire next week.

“It’s a testament to Mardy’s commitment in the last couple years to become the best player he can be, so I couldn’t be happier for him and prouder of what he’s done. I think it is a milestone,” McEnroe told www.sonyericssonopen.com after the match concluded.

“I know Mardy’s big goal is to get to the Top 10 and he’s very close to doing that now, so I think it sets him up (hopefully knock on wood), he can stay healthy the rest of the year and has a great shot to finish in Top 10 and even higher.”  

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Fish evened his record against Ferrer to three wins and three losses, and is seeded to meet Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals. The World No. 2 tonight plays Kevin Anderson, the South African who shocked the Serb in their only meeting, in Miami three years ago, when Djokovic was defending champion.

Djokovic and the No. 14-seeded Fish have met five times, and the 2007 Miami champion is yet to lose to the Floridian. Their most notable match came at the final of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event at Indian Wells in 2008, when Djokovic edged Fish in a close three-set match. The Serbian is riding a 23-match winning streak dating back to last December’s Davis Cup Final and Fish isn’t taken aback by Djokovic’s results.

“It's really not that surprising when you watch him play that he hasn't lost yet, because he's playing so well,” commented Fish about Djokovic’s undefeated record this season.
“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.”

Though Djokovic will be the heavy favorite against Fish should he get past Anderson, McEnroe isn’t ready to write off Fish’s chances. “Mardy’s got to serve well like he did today against Ferrer. He’s got to be aggressive when he can, but also has to be consistent, so it’s a fine line,” said McEnroe.

“Djokovic has been unbelievable this year… but Mardy is playing with a lot of confidence and he’s had three great wins in a row here, so he should be primed.”