Gambill Survives Open Scare Spokane Native Overcomes Cramps, Two-Set Deficit To Trip Underdog Fish

Late Wednesday afternoon, it seemed as though Jan-Michael Gambill’s stay in the men’s singles bracket at the U.S. Open would be brief.

Early Wednesday evening, Gambill exited Louis Armstrong Stadium a dehydrated survivor. After a 3-hour, 27-minute match that was momentarily interrupted by rain, the Spokane native rallied to defeat wild-card entry Mardy Fish of Vero Beach, Fla., 5-7, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 in the first round of the Grand Slam tournament.

Oddly enough, Gambill began to turn the match around about the time he began cramping. He headed for the trainer’s room after the match to undergo intravenous fluid treatment.

“My body just cramps in humidity,” said Gambill, who last year retired in the second round of the Open because of dehydration. “I need to get acclimated to the humidity a little bit more. I think I can play fine in humidity, but it takes a little more time for me.”

It also took the Mead High graduate time to heat up against Fish, who won the first two sets before watching his fortunes turn in the third with the score even at 4 and Gambill serving.

After Gambill fell behind 30-15, all Fish had to do was win the next two points and give himself a chance to serve out the match. He had broken Gambill four times up to that point, but failed when he needed to do it most.

Gambill got the game to deuce and won it with a volley on his second advantage point. He then closed out the set by breaking the 18-year-old.

That also seemed to break the spirit of Fish, who has only played in seven professional matches since turning pro last year. It also was his first five-set match on the Tour. Gambill, meanwhile, settled down as the match progressed, especially on his serves in the fourth game, when he served 70 percent on first serves and fired nine of his 30 aces.

Fish, however, dominated in the opening sets, returning Gambill’s serve beautifully. He also made only 17 errors in the games he won to Gambill’s 22 in the first set and nine in the second.

“In the beginning I tried to get the crowd on my side,” Fish said, “because I knew that I would need them if it was a long match.”

The crowd, which grew steadily throughout the match in the 10,000-seat show court, got behind the underdog Fish, who is ranked 348th in the world. Some tried to get a Mar-dy, Mar-dy chant going while one yelled, “You’re Fish bait, Gambill!”

Some of the spectators joined Fish’s rooting section, presumably in order to help bring the match to a quick end.

Doubles partners Venus and Serena Williams were scheduled up next, but the defending women’s doubles champs were moved to Arthur Ashe Stadium because of the length of the Gambill-Fish match.

While they were taking care of matters next door, Gambill rallied in the smaller stadium.

“I was just trying to focus on better tennis and somehow get Mardy out of his zone that he was in,” Gambill said. “He was playing unbelievable tennis, really great tennis.

“I’ll tell you what. I’m excited to see another youngster playing that well.”

Gambill’s next opponent is 15th-seeded Mark Philippoussis, a straight-set winner Wednesday. Gambill holds a 3-1 lifetime record over the Australian.

“He’s serving well, he’s serving huge - his usual. And his ground strokes are better and better,” Gambill said.

Gambill opens doubles play today with American partner Scott Humphries. He also will play mixed doubles with Martina Hingis, the world’s No. 1 women’s player. He said he and Hingis have not practiced yet.

“I think it will be a great time out there, it really will. There’s not a lot of pressure,” Gambill said of his mixed team, which is ranked No. 7 in the draw.