 Hot Fish pulls out of LA event; Blake advances
2010-07-28 02:20:00
Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Red-hot American Mardy Fish pulled out of the $700,000 Farmers Classic tennis event on Tuesday, citing fatigue and an ankle injury. An eighth-seeded Fish was scheduled to meet German Benjamin Becker in an opening-round match Tuesday night, but was replaced in the draw by Giovanni Lapentti of Ecuador.
"Due to fatigue and a sprained ankle in Atlanta, I am not in good shape to play," Fish said. "I need to rest in order to compete at a high level."
Becker beat Lapentti, 7-5, 7-6 (8-6), in the final match of the night on the hardcourts at the Los Angeles Tennis Center.
Fish has won his last 10 matches, including two titles in his last two events. He titled on grass in Newport two weeks ago and was last week's big winner on the hardcourts in Atlanta, where he overtook 6-foot-9 fellow American John Isner in the final amid some oppressive heat.
The 28-year-old Fish suffered the ankle injury during his second-round match against fellow American Robby Ginepri last week.
American James Blake, the runner-up here in 2007, beat Argentine Leonardo Mayer, 6-1, 6-4. Blake is ranked No. 117, his lowest since the week of May 30, 2005 when he was No. 127. He came back in June after missing two months with a right knee injury and now has a second-round match against Becker.
Additional Day-2 wins came for South African Kevin Anderson, Ginepri and fellow Americans Tim Smyczek and Ryan Sweeting, Colombian Alejandro Falla and India's Somdev Devvarman.
This week's top seed is Australian Open runner-up Andy Murray. No. 2 seed and defending champion Sam Querrey, No. 3 Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus and No. 6 Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia highlight Wednesdays second round action. Querrey, who bested Aussie Carsten Ball in last year's finale, will meet Anderson.
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