Heat Stroke Forces Fish To Retire At Winston-Salem

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 21st August 2013

Heat Stroke Forces Fish To Retire At Winston-Salem

epa03379620 Mardy Fish of the US jubilates after defeating Gilles Simon of France during their match on the sixth day of the 2012 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 01 September 2012. The US Open runs through 09 September 2012. EPA/JOHN G. MABANGLO |

The health problems of Mardy Fish have been extensively documented over the last 18 months but this time it wasn’t concerns about the 31 year-old Minnesotan’s heart but a simple case of heat stroke that forced him to retire from his second round match at the Winston-Salem Open.

Fish, making only his ninth competitive outing of the year on the main ATP World Tour was trailing 7-5, 6-7, 3-2 in an obviously close-fought encounter with 11th seeded Jarkko Nieminen when he had to throw in the towel.

Fish said in a statement issued by the ATP he developed “heat stroke” and the “very hot and humid” weather made it difficult to continue the match.

“The weather just got to me a little bit and I just couldn’t go any more,” he said.

The early loss of Fish was another blow to North Carolina tournament after top-seeded Tomas Berdych and third-seeded John Isner, the two-time defending champion, withdrew with injuries.

Fish was playing just his fifth tour-level tournament of the year. The US Davis Cup veteran had been awarded a wild card into the main draw by tournament director Bill Oakes and captured his 300th match win with victory over Evgeny Donskoy in the first round.