Mardy Fish battles past Stanislas Wawrinka in first rubber – Davis Cup 2012: USA vs SUI
World number seven Mardy Fish of America led his team to 1-0 lead in the first round tie against Team Switzerland as he secured a five set win over world number 28, Stanislas Wawrinka at Fribourg, Switzerland on Friday, 10th
February 2012. The pair toiled for nearly four hours and twenty three minutes before Fish emerged victorious with a 6-2, 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 9-7 win.
Winning the toss, the American comfortably made his way onto the scoreboard followed closely behind by the Swiss. Standing at 2-1, Fish shifted into higher gears as he broke Wawrinka to go 3-1 in the first set. Unable to break
back, the Swiss was at least able to continue holding his own serves as the scoreboard ticked to 5-2. However, another blow to the Swiss’ serve in the eighth game, allowed Fish to convert a second breakpoint to his advantage as he sealed the set at 6-2, going
one up in the set score.
Down but not out, Wawrinka returned with renewed energy in the second set as he matched blow for blow with the higher ranked American. Breaking his opponent early in the set, Wawrinka rushed to a 2-0 lead. From there on, the score
continued to progress on individual serves. An exchange of breakpoints in the sixth and seventh game, continued to see Wawrinka leading by one game. A successful hold of serve later, Wawrinka was able to serve out the set at 5-4, bringing the set scores to
even terms.
Carrying over his form into the second set, Wawrinka was able to once more clinch an early breakpoint opportunity leading 2-0 in the beginning. Riding this single breakpoint, the Swiss was able to serve out yet another set at 5-4
to take a one set lead in the set score.
Trailing in the set score, Fish was determined to not give up without a fight. With a single ace, an 82 percent in on his first serve and two back to back successful breakpoint conversions, the American clinched a breadstick win
for himself, removing the deficit in the set scores.
With two set wins each, the match entered the decider. The pair progressed on even terms in the final matching blow for blow and forcing the scoreboard to tick on even terms. An advantage clinched early on by Fish in the fifth
game was neutralized in the tenth. With seven games each, Fish soon wrapped up the match as he broke the Swiss one last time in the fifteenth game before serving out the sixteenth to wrap up a 9-7 long set victory.
Despite hitting more double faults than the Swiss in the entire match, Fish was able to survive the five sets with a resounding total of fifteen aces and an impressive 73 percent win on his first serve grabbing a total of 180 to
167 points in the match.
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