U.S. Open: Mardy Fish makes new memories in final match

Mardy Fish’s last U.S. Open memory will be of the Louis Armstrong Stadium crowd roaring for him.

Failing to serve out the match, his legs cramping badly at the end – those details are less important than the fact he was there, playing all out and pushing a top-20 player to the limit.

The 33-year-old American’s career ended Wednesday in New York in the second round with a five-set loss to 18th-seeded Feliciano Lopez. Before this year, he hadn’t been back to the U.S. Open since 2012, when he never made it onto the court for what should have been one of his biggest matches. Fish withdrew that day because of a panic attack before his fourth-round meeting with Roger Federer.

He played little after that as he struggled with anxiety disorder, but Fish decided for one last hurrah this summer on the hard-court circuit, culminating with the U.S. Open. The former top-10 player hoped to make some new memories at Flushing Meadows and tell his story to help others coping with mental illness.

“I accomplished everything that I set out to this summer,” Fish said, “and I’m happy about that.”

His summer of tennis nearly stretched on at least two more days. Fish had a chance to serve out the match in the fourth set but made three straight unforced errors then double-faulted to be broken at love.

Fish said afterward the nerves weren’t too bad.

“Didn’t pick a great time to play the worst game I played all day,” he said. “I haven’t been in that position in a long time, obviously. So things happen.”

Lopez quickly won the next two games as well to force the deciding set, and Fish’s legs were already starting to cramp up. And yet he hung in there at the start of the fifth, when Lopez was the one who seemed overwhelmed by the moment.

He had four double-faults in the last set, but also seven aces to wiggle out of trouble.

Fish’s legs were cramping more and more and he was able to move less and less. Never did he consider quitting.

“You would have had to carry me off the court,” Fish said. “I was definitely not stopping at that point.”

Serena’s bid rolls on

Serena Williams’ bid for a true Grand Slam is safe, despite an uneven performance in the second round.

Overcoming 10 double-faults and two dozen other unforced errors, Williams emerged with a 7-6 (5), 6-3 victory over 110th-ranked qualifier Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands.

Williams has won the past four major titles, a streak that began at last year’s U.S. Open, and is trying to complete the first calendar-year Grand Slam since Steffi Graf in 1988.

Keys makes 3rd round

American Madison Keys has reached the third round at the U.S. Open for the first time.

The 19th-seeded Keys needed just 54 minutes to beat 100th-ranked Tereza Smitkova of Czech Republic 6-1, 6-2 in a matchup of 20-year-olds.

Keys has now advanced to at least the third round at every major this year.