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WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 17, 2015

Mardy Fish

CINCINNATI, OHIO

M. FISH/V/ Troicki
6‑2, 6‑2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You said on the court this was your biggest win in two years. How meaningful is it to get this one, and obviously over a top 20 player?
MARDY FISH: These guys are all good. That didn't come into play. I guess it could have been anyone, I guess.
I was a little surprised at my level. Like I said out there, I hadn't practiced a ton or particularly well for a little while. I was struggling with my serve.
A friend of mine came in a couple days and helped. But it was still sort of a struggle even yesterday to sort of find my serve and stuff.
I was obviously real happy with the level.

Q. With respect to the US Open, are you going to play doubles as well?
MARDY FISH: I don't think so. I don't think I could‑‑ if I were to win a match, on my day off I wouldn't want to play doubles. That's the only thing.
I would love to play. But three out of five? Just singles probably.

Q. I couldn't hear what you said on the court to the group of fans that was cheering for you. Your name was being screamed pretty much every play.
MARDY FISH: Yeah, and I hear it. I was just letting them know I hear it and I appreciate the support. I've felt the love here for a long, long time. I've had some success here. This is probably my best U.S. tournament as far as matches won in a big event kind of thing.
I feel it. I can feel it when I go practice and when I'm just walking around the grounds. So I was letting them know I really appreciated it. I think I called them idiots, but I was joking.

Q. Mardy, you poo‑poo'ed this top 10 win, but let's face it...
MARDY FISH: Hi, Doug.

Q. ...he's not a nobody.
MARDY FISH: No, don't get me wrong.

Q. And you beat him 2‑2. Was that a one‑off or were you feeling that relaxed out there? What do you chalk it up to?
MARDY FISH: I mean, maybe I still got a little life left in me to chalk that up.
I don't know. I mean, I played really well. I had played him one time before and had success. You know, I don't know.
He's had some success but it was on grass. I hadn't really been following the Tour that much, so I was sort of looking at how‑‑ not how, but whyhe was ‑‑ what were his results to get to 19 or 20 in the world.
He hadn't won a match on hard courts this year, at least in the summer. D.C. lost in the first round and last week lost first round.
So I had that in the back of my mind. I felt like strategically if I could get up a little bit maybehe could ‑‑ you know, I know how that feels. I've been down to Australia not won a match and played the two weeks prior to the Australian Open and then gotten to the Open and felt like, Man am I going to come all the way here and not win a match?
I know how that feels. If I could use that to my advantage, I tried.

Q. A little bit different being in singles than doubles match. (Photographer interruption.)
MARDY FISH: You know, I wasn't in love with the scheduling as far as having to play twice. It's obviously pretty hot here. Normally it wouldn't ‑‑ three, four years ago wouldn't have been a big deal at all. I would've probably preferred to play a couple times and get out there and wouldn't have been that big of a deal.
Recently things can sort of snowball and you can think too much about the schedule before it happens and get to the future. That's one of the things that I try to‑‑ that I work on a lot is not letting my mind get in the future and stay in the present and worry about now, now and worry about later, later.
So, you know, it is what it is. I got a doubles match this afternoon and deal with it then.

Q. What are some of the things you're most going to miss about being a pro tennis player after you retire?
MARDY FISH: You're never going to get that feeling again, just like the winning sort of feeling. Nothing will ever duplicate that. That's what I'll miss most. I'll miss a lot of friendships I've made over the past 15, 16 years out here.
That's about it.

Q. Is it getting easier for you as you play a little bit more this summer to deal to the issues spoke about? And also, are you hearing from people going through similar issues? You feel like you're fulfilling your mission in helping others?
MARDY FISH: I hope so. Answer the second part first. I just heard from a kid when I was walking off the court. Thank you for what you do with mental illness. Couldn't have been more than 12, 14 years old.
Yeah, that makes me feel good. I wouldn't call it necessarily my mission. I hope to help really bring awareness to show that there can be a role model that can be positive and can shed some light on it and that whole thing.
And personally, that stuff is not really in the forefront of my mind. I forgot the first part of your question. Personally that stuff isn't in the forefront of my mind because I'm still trying to‑‑ I don't want to embarrass myself out here.
I played really terribly in the first match that I played in Atlanta and it sort of felt off. Just felt like, Is this going to be a sort of a‑‑ am I going to be a walkover the whole time? I was real nervous in that match and just did not play well at all. Didn't feel well at all. Felt much better on the doubles court.
But I'm glad that it's not that.

Q. Any thoughts on facing Andy Murray in your next singles match?
MARDY FISH: No good thoughts. (Laughter.) No, look, of the top guys, you know, of the guys that have been dominate in my era, he's the guy I've had the most success with. I believe it's 4‑4.
So I would've liked to have had that 4‑4 and just coasted off, but he might get me one more time.
You never know, you know. I certainly played well today. He's pretty fantastic so far. He's won a ton of matches. He's won more matches than anyone this year, so he'll be tough.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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