The future of Mardy Fish looks increasingly unclear after it was revealed in the tennis betting news that the former ATP top-10 singles player pulled out of his comeback tournament in San Jose, citing on-going heart issues.
Fish, a silver medallist at the 2004 Olympic Games, hasn’t played in almost five months after pulling out of the US Open in the fourth-round last September. He was all set to play at the SAP Open in San Jose, which begins on 11 February, but with less then two weeks before the tournament accepted he was not ready to return.
The American, hopeful a winter break would solves his health issues, will now most probably take a prolonged period away from tennis in order regain his fitness.
Although the 30-year-old has been with the US Davis Cup team this January, his decision to pull out of San Jose proves just how problematic his health issues currently are.
Back in September, the number 23-seed struggled in the opening rounds at Flushing Meadows and was evidently not in good form. His second-round clash with Nikolay Davydenko went to five sets after the American had gone two down, while Gilles Simon gave him a scare in the third.
Heading into a fourth-round clash with Roger Federer (if you previously bet on Andy Murray to beat Fed in this month’s Australian Open, you’ll still be smiling no doubt!), Fish must have felt nervy about his chances and at the time was right to withdraw from the match. When he announced that decision most fans in the betting world expected him to return to the courts in a month’s time for the autumn run-in, but no Fish materialised on doctor’s orders.
Unfortunately, five months of rehabilitation evidently hasn’t done the former world number seven any good and with this withdrawal from San Jose he may even now be thinking of retirement.
It would be disappointing to see such a talented tennis player retire due to health issues but there is no value in risking oneself for the game, and Fish must consider his future outside the game before risking it on court.
