MIXED BAG FOR FANS IN LOUIS ARMSTRONG AS FISH BIDS FAREWELL BEFORE NADAL ADVANCES @ THE U.S. OPEN TENNIS BY RICKY DIMON

Written by: Staff on 3rd September 2015

Rafael Nadal of Spain hits a return to Diego Schwartzman of Argentina during their match on the third day of the 2015 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 02 September 2015. The US Open runs through 13 September, which is a return to a 14-day schedule. EPA/JOHN G. MABANGLO

epa04909763 Rafael Nadal of Spain hits a return to Diego Schwartzman of Argentina during their match on the third day of the 2015 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 02 September 2015. The US Open runs through 13 September, which is a return to a 14-day schedule. EPA/JOHN G. MABANGLO |

Louis Armstrong Stadium was the place to be on Wednesday at the U.S. Open, what with Mardy Fish playing in his last tournament and Rafael Nadal making a rare foray outside of Arthur Ashe.

For the fans, who obviously hoped to witness victories by both Fish and Nadal, the results were a mixed bag.

Fish almost got the day off to a memorable start. All the cards were in play for the 33-year-old American to keep his career alive with a run to the third round of the season’s final Grand Slam event. He led Feliciano Lopez by two sets to one and served for the match in the fourth, looking like the superior player almost from start to finish.

But Fish got tight–and understandably so. Having suffered for three years with a mysterious but now well-documented anxiety disorder, Fish really had not been in any kind of pressure-packed match such as this one since the 2012 U.S. Open. The former world No. 7 lost his last two service games in set four and had nothing left in the tank physically for a fifth.

In the end, Lopez prevailed 2-6, 6-3, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3.

“I have to say he was the better player,” Lopez told an appreciative crowd. “I think he really deserved to win.”

“I was starting to sort of feel pretty tired and starting to get a couple of twinges in my legs at the end of the fourth set, so I figured that was my opportunity,” Fish lamented. “You know, didn’t pick a great time to play the worst game I played all day. I haven’t been in that position in a long time, obviously. So things happen. I was definitely not stopping…. You would have had to carry me off the court.”

It was a court Nadal probably did not expect to play on until the schedule was revealed on Tuesday evening.

On playing Louis Armstrong Stadium, Nadal said, “Was okay, no? Is obvious that I prefer to play in the Arthur Ashe that I am little bit more used (to). The real thing is that the crowd in Armstrong was great this afternoon. Was great feeling to feel the crowd that close to me. I enjoy that.”

The bottom line is he will take a win no matter where it comes. And that’s what Nadal got, as he fought past Diego Schwartzman 7-6(5), 6-3, 7-5. The two-time champion served at 68 percent and fired eight aces while making up for three lost service games by breaking Schwartzman six times.

“I think I serve well today,” Nadal assessed. “My serve was working well. I think I had the match under control at the beginning, playing well. Then I played a bad game [at 5-3 in the first set]. Then the match became a little bit more crazy–some ups and downs.

“Today I felt that I was practicing great before the match; and yesterday, too. I felt that during the match I didn’t arrive to that high level that I was practicing before. But it’s true that he played really well.”

Next up for Nadal is a showdown with familiar foe Fabio Fognini. You can be sure that Arthur Ashe Stadium–probably at night–is the setting.

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand.

Topics: 2015 US Open, Atp World Tour, Diego Schwartzman, Fabio Fogging, Feliciano Lopez, Louis Armstrong, Mardy Fish, Rafa Nadal, Sports, Tennis News, US Open tennis

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10sBalls_com says:

September 3, 2015 at 10:32 am

MIXED BAG FOR FANS IN LOUIS ARMSTRONG AS FISH BIDS FAREWELL BEFORE NADAL ADVANCES @ THE @usopen #TENNIS BY @Dimonator http://t.co/iaa1qXPRJP
Dimonator says:

September 3, 2015 at 11:02 am

RT @10sBalls_com: MIXED BAG FOR FANS IN LOUIS ARMSTRONG AS FISH BIDS FAREWELL BEFORE NADAL ADVANCES @ THE @usopen #TENNIS BY @Dimonator htt…