Mardy FISH TALKS
Mardy FISH TALKS
(Courtesy: Emirates Airline US Open Series call with Mardy Fish)
MARDY FISH
ERIC SCHUSTER: Thank you, everyone,
for joining us for the second in a series of player
conference calls we will be hosting throughout the
Emirates Airline US Open Series. On the phone
today we have the 2011 Series champion Mardy
Fish. After a recent health scare that kept him off
the court for most of the spring, Mardy returned to
action at Wimbledon, where he reached the round
of 16.
He is scheduled to begin his title defense
at the BB&T Atlanta Open next week followed by
the Citi Open in Washington, D.C., the Rogers Cup
in Toronto, and the Western & Southern Open in
Cincinnati.
Before we get into the Q & A, I’ll ask Mardy
if he can share some of his thoughts on winning
last year’s Emirates Airline US Open Series title
and his plans and goals for the summer of 2012.
MARDY FISH: Thank you. Thanks,
everyone, for being on the call. This is my favorite
time of the year, so obviously this is an exciting
time. I played so well last year. Winning the US
Open Series was an honor, and I played well in
every event that I played in the summer, including
the US Open obviously. You know, it should be
fun again. Obviously I’m really looking forward to
it. I’m going to start in Atlanta and head there this
weekend and get going.
Q. How did getting back on the court
and playing several matches in succession at
Wimbledon help you f get your feel back after
having some time off for the health reasons?
MARDY FISH: Yeah, it was huge to be
able to get through the first two matches.
Obviously the first couple are going to be the
hardest ones. You’re not going to come back as
sharp.
You know, my fitness level isn’t where I
want it to be for obvious reasons, but it was nice to
be able to play those matches, to be in pressure
situations, high pressure situations in a Grand
Slam to where I can get those out of the way and
move on.
A lot of times when you take some time off,
sometimes you have to take your lumps in
tournaments, and you’re going to play some bad
matches and probably not get through them, and I
was lucky enough to get through those first two
rounds to where I could really feel like I had some
matches under my belt and I could start playing
some good tennis again.
I did that in the third round. I played very
well against a good young player in David Goffin,
and I certainly played well enough to win against
Jo-Wilfred Tsonga. I played great the first day, first
rain delay, the third rain delay and the fourth rain
delay. I played fine. I actually won more points
than he did in the match, in the four-set match,
which doesn’t happen too often. I was happy with
the way I played there.
And obviously going into Atlanta and D.C.,
those are tournaments that I’ve had success at,
and I’ll try to build on some of the matches that I
won at Wimbledon.
Q. I just want to ask you about the
Olympics. It seems like a lot of the players are
more excited and more enthusiastic about
playing the Olympics than in previous years,
and I just wanted to get your thoughts on why
that may be, just taking into account your past
experience playing at the Olympics and how
the Olympics factors into the players now
compared to what it did when you started
playing them?
MARDY FISH: I think the Olympics this
time around as opposed to maybe 2008 is a little
more appealing considering that we’re playing at
Wimbledon. You’re playing at a familiar place, as
well, and a pretty localized place, too. There’s not
many easy ways to get to Beijing. London — it’s a
pretty Euro dominated sport, so naturally it’s pretty
easy to get to London for those guys. And then
obviously playing at Wimbledon will be special and
will be interesting, as well, to see people not in
white clothes and things like that.
And it’ll also be interesting how they turn
the grass around so quickly and see how they’re
going to do that because we beat it up pretty good
throughout the two weeks.
I think all those things together, a lot of
people are looking forward to it.
Q. As a two-time champion in the
Atlanta tournament, somebody could say that
this tournament is Mardy Town, but will the
third time be the charm, considering you’re
going to have some stiff competition? Will
there be any Fish Heads present at this match,
and will you be able to pull it off a third time?
MARDY FISH: I would love to. I’m not
sure about the fans. You know, we get great
support in Atlanta. Atlanta is actually one of the
more fun weeks that we go to, fun cities that we go
to all year. They’re extremely knowledgeable in
the game of tennis. I think there’s more USTA
members per capita in Atlanta than there is in the
entire country, or at least that’s what I heard. It’s
very natural and very easy for us to play there in
front of fans like that.
I certainly enjoy playing there. Obviously I
love the weather, the heat. Playing in that type of
heat is not just about being fit; as well it’s about
convincing yourself that you like it more than the
other guy, pushing your body further than you think
it’ll go. You know, there’s numerous ways to get
through it, and I love it. I grew up in it. I grew up in
that weather, and I play my best tennis in that type
of heat.
Like you said, there’s going fob a lot of
great players there, as there has been the past two
years, as well. I’ve had two very, very close
matches in the finals, both to John Isner. I’m sure
he’ll be looking to win one of those titles, as well.
Q. There’s been talk lately that
Wimbledon may move their tournament up a
week, which would then crowd out one of the
US Open Series tournaments. Any thoughts
about that, the impact on that then on the US
Open and so on?
MARDY FISH: I haven’t heard anything
about that. I mean, I think that would give —
speaking of not just Americans but some of the
other European players and some of the players
coming from afar, it gives them an extra week to
maybe come over and get used to the weather and
get used to everything. You know, it’s already a
tough turnaround between the French Open and
Wimbledon. Three weeks is not very long. Two
weeks would be even tougher. So I’m not sure
that something like that would ever happen.
Q. Following on the toughness of that
schedule, will your cardiac incident impact
your mind and how you determine your
schedule for next year?
MARDY FISH: It very well could. You
know, I know that everything is fine with me, but
I’m going to put myself in positions where I’m very
comfortable from now on, that’s for sure. I’ve
played a lot of years out here, and I’ve played
every tournament there is. In the years that I have
remaining, I’ll try to put myself in the most
comfortable situations for me so something like
that doesn’t happen again. It might be a little bit
different for me than other players.
So yes, there is a possibility, but that’s a
little bit in advance from now.
Q. And finally, did the schedule have
anything at all to do with the incident?
MARDY FISH: As far as not playing the
Olympics?
Q. No, no, the schedule you played
before the incident occurred, did it have any
impact at all from your cardiologist on that?
MARDY FISH: Well, I think stress is one
of the main reasons why you get arrhythmias,
stress, alcohol, caffeine, things like that, that bring
them on. I went to Australia in January, I went to
Switzerland and back to LA for Davis Cup, then I
went to Marseilles and Dubai, then back to LA. So
I think we can draw our own conclusions how hard
the schedule is for us and how tough it is on our
bodies and our minds.
Q. As the two-time defending
champion of the Atlanta Open, you’ve
obviously had a lot of success in Atlanta the
past two years, but we have moved our
location this year from kind of the suburbs to a
more central location inside the city. How do
you think the change in atmosphere is going to
affect the players? Is it going to be more
beneficial for them to be in a more vibrant,
exciting atmosphere?
MARDY FISH: Yeah, they keep switching
on us every year. First was the Atlanta Athletic
Club, which we loved. We loved both locations.
They were great. They got great crowds. I expect
the same in that regard.
I don’t know what to expect as far as it
being in downtown. I’ve seen pictures of the
facilities now, but obviously I haven’t been there.
You know, who knows as far as the weather is
concerned as to how the buildings might trap in the
heat and stuff like that.
But we’re looking forward to it, and
hopefully one of these years we can stick on one
specific venue that we can all stay at every time
and everyone can look forward to, because it is
kind of hard from time to time to keep moving
around from place to place. But I know everyone
has enjoyed both venues that we’ve had so far,
and I’m sure this one will be no different.
Q. When players come back from an
injury or a health incident that keep them off
court for a long time, they obviously have to
get themselves physically prepared for the
tour, but talk about preparing yourself mentally
to go back on tour and talk about your level of
confidence going into the hard court season.
MARDY FISH: Yeah, the hardest part for
me is mentally trusting everything. You know, the
summer is tough in general just because you know
you have to deal with the player and the opponent
across the net, but you also have to deal with the
weather and sort of the conditions that you have to
play in, and you prepare yourself the best way you
can. I’ve prepared myself very well the past couple
years, and this year is a little bit different going in.
But I’m doing everything I can, getting
myself into the best shape I can, took a few days
off after Wimbledon and then started to get back at
it and grind again.
It’s tough being in LA because the weather
is 70 degrees and sunny out here, and it’s 100
degrees everywhere else. So it’s kind of hard to
train in that type of stuff. But I’ll get to Atlanta as
early as I can and try to get into that climate and
that weather and try to deal with it as best I can.
Q. After that tournament in Atlanta
you’ll be back up in D.C. this year, the Citi
Open. Last year you had to pull out. Talk
about coming back to this tournament where
you’ve had some success and also regarding
the weather here because obviously it’s pretty
grueling and can be very, very oppressive.
MARDY FISH: No, it’s one of my favorite
stops of the year. I love the city of Washington,
D.C. The venue is outstanding. The weather is
hot, but it’s the kind of weather that I enjoy playing
in. And having Citi come on board and having a
new title sponsor is great for the tournament and
great for the city of Washington, D.C., as well. It’s
nice to be a part of that event because obviously I
wanted to play last year but just — it just didn’t work
in my schedule. It was a good thing for me
because I had won a ton of matches in the weeks
prior. I played well at Wimbledon, as well, before
that, and then obviously played Davis Cup.
So I had a lot of matches under me and
needed just a small break there to kind of regroup
and regenerate and go up to Montreal, where I did
well there, too. The schedule worked out well for
me last year, but the only miss or blip on it was that
I had to miss D.C. We won’t have that problem
this year, and I’ve worked my schedule around to
be able to be a part of that event, so I look forward
to it.
Q. And on the scheduling front,
obviously not playing the Olympics sort of
gives you a jump start on the hard court
season. How do you think that might help you
with the US Open Series again this year?
MARDY FISH: Well, I see it as a plus as
far as playing the events that I do well at. Playing
in the States is my most fun time of the year,
playing in the summer, playing in the heat, and I
didn’t want to miss that. I didn’t want to miss two
full weeks of the most important time for me or the
most fun time for me. I’ve played the Olympics
before, and I think it’s very hard to play the
Olympics and Davis Cup in the same year.
Everyone’s schedule is suppressed during an
Olympic year.
I was lucky enough to do well in the
Olympics when I played in 2004 and win the silver
medal, so I’ve got a medal and I’ve got the
memories from that, so I’ll skip the Olympics this
year and look forward to going to D.C., where I
would have missed it had I gone to the Olympics.
Q. We’re looking forward to having you
up in New York obviously for the Open. The
crowd up here in New York and the energy is
very unique. What do you enjoy most about
playing in the Open?
MARDY FISH: I enjoy the camaraderie
that you can get from the fans for the American
players — it’s definitely the most favorite Slam for
the Americans as far as being able to play in those
big courts and having the crowd behind you. We
go to so many places, in Spain and in Italy and in
England, where you can play a guy from that
country, and those fans are just going crazy for
their player. But we know for a fact that we have
that one big event where everyone wants to do
well, and we’re going to have the fans behind us
and rooting as loud as they can for us. So that
makes it so much fun and exciting and one of the
best times of the whole year for us.
Q. Winning matches in Grand Slams,
especially when the crowd is behind you, as
you said, is great, but it’s obviously different
when you’re playing and representing your
country, whether it be Davis Cup or Olympics.
How can you compare the two?
MARDY FISH: Well, Davis Cup is a little
bit different animal in the sense that, yes, you feel
like you’re playing for your country and you also
feel like you’re playing for your teammates. The
Olympics is a little bit different because it’s still a
regular tournament, and we still have — every week
that we play, we still have the USA next to our
name, and the Olympics is sort of the same. It’s a
regular event, where Davis Cup is such a unique
animal where you’re relying on your teammates to
win. You can’t win on your own. It’s the only team
sort of sport or team thing that we have in tennis,
and so that’s why I love Davis Cup so much,
because you can’t necessarily just rely on yourself.
You can play well and you can win matches, but
you need your teammates to play well and win, as
well. That’s when it feels so satisfying.
Q. You and Andy Roddick have to
answer a lot of questions about where the next
American stars are coming from. The USTA
will be introducing major changes to the junior
competitive structure going forward. It’s kind
of evolved since you were a junior where
players can kind of chase points, and a lot of
these players ranked 300, 400, 500 were getting
into national events, but now it’s going to
return to where you have to earn your way to
nationals through sectional play, like when you
and Courier and Andy were juniors in Florida.
Do you have any stories from your junior days
about working your way up in Florida
tournaments, and what do you think about
these changes?
MARDY FISH: Absolutely I do, yeah. I
remember playing the regular events in Florida, to
try to get into the national events from there. And
it’s sort of the same setup in the pros that it is in
the juniors, it’s just you start — you’ve got to start in
the little cities like where I grew up in Vero Beach,
and I remember playing tournaments in Vero and
in Fort Pierce and West Palm Beach to make it to
the designateds in Lakeland or Tampa, to make it
to the national events or just even smaller national
events all the way up into Kalamazoo and things
like that.
Yeah, I certainly remember playing and
going through all that, and felt like the more
tournaments that I played, the more tournaments I
was able to go to and to compete in was going to
help my growth as a tennis player at such a young
age. So I think that’s a very good idea to go back
to that, instead of just being able to get in sort of
on name recognition.
Q. And the feedback from college
coaches, they’re saying they want tougher U.S.
juniors coming out to compete with the
international players that they’re recruiting. Do
you think that will maybe produce more U.S.
stars and tougher juniors, tougher college
players?
MARDY FISH: Sure, yeah. You’re just
going to get more people, more kids playing more
tournaments, and I think that’s the best thing —
that’s the best way to look at it. Once you play and
realize how much fun playing tennis is, how
competitive it is, how much fun it is to play an
individual sport like that, you’re going to get more
and more kids sticking with the game. I think that’s
the goal for them.
Q. I just wanted to know, how have you
had to adapt your training and your nutrition, if
needed, with the illness that you had and now
coming back?
MARDY FISH: The nutrition stays the
same, has stayed the same for a while now. As far
as training is concerned, yeah, I mean, I’m getting
back to being able to do everything that I was prior,
it just took some time to really get back into shape,
into match shape. I still need matches. I still need
to get out in the heat, to get to Atlanta, to get to
these places early and really get in the climate and
prepare myself as good as I can.
You know, just playing these tournaments
and playing in the States will help that a lot.
Q. We’ve also heard a lot about the
up-and-coming American players that are
juniors. Are there any players that you’ve kind
of taken under your belt, considering that
you’re a veteran with a lot of experience on the
tour and have played as a pro for so many
years?
MARDY FISH: You know, someone like
Ryan Harrison jumps out at you. He’s sort of a
sponge when it comes to information from all the
guys that have played or have played for a while or
have just retired. You know, there’s still a lot of
players. The only problem with taking someone
under your wing is that you’re trying to compete
with them, as well, and it’s an individual sport, so
it’s not a team sport.
I’m certainly open to discussing anyone’s
game at any time. If a young player would
approach me, I would give him my full attention.
But they’re still trying to take your lunch away.
Q. Exactly, survival of the fittest.
MARDY FISH: This is an individual sport,
and that’s what makes it so great.
What I’m trying to say is that there isn’t that
much sort of dialogue between players trying to
help players out, and if someone like Ryan
Harrison comes to you and asks you a question,
you give him your full attention. But there’s not a
ton of it, because A, there’s not a ton of young
Americans that are coming up that are playing as
well as he is, and B, you’re trying to play for
yourself, as well.
Topics: American tennis news, Mardy Fish, Mardy Fish Interview, Sports, Wimbledon 2012
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