Mardy Fish hits back to upset Juan Monaco in third round – Rogers Cup 2012
Seeded 11th in this event, Mardy Fish, made an epic comeback to stun the Argentinean star, Juan Monaco, in a three-set thriller at the Rogers Cup 2012 on Friday. He summed up a 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 success against the world number 10 to power into the
quarter-finals at this Masters 1000 series taking place in Rexall Centre, Canada.
The American number two made a drastic start but quickly found his rhythm, ultimately carving out the victory in their sixth match-up at this outdoor hard court tournament. After stealing the limelight in two hours and 15 minutes, Fish not only avenged his
loss at the Sony Ericsson Open earlier this season but also levelled the FedEx ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) Head 2 Head series by 3-3 against the Argentine.
Monaco made quick in-roads at this Emirates Airline US Open Series event. He drew the first blood in the third game and jumped to a 3-1 lead. After Fish held his serve in the fifth game, the Argentinean stroke out the last three games and clicked the opener
with a 6-2 success.
The former Top 10, Fish made a fitting reply in the following set. He got the coveted break in the second game to leap to a 3-0 lead before Monaco could hold on. The American maintained his intensity and pocketed the last three games. He was never challenged
with any barrier and capitalised on two out of four break chances to pull out the equaliser with a breadstick.
Currently ranked 13th in the South African Airways ATP World Tour Rankings, Fish kept momentum rowing in the final set. He kept his entire serves after warding off all five breakpoints he came across. The American cashed in the lone break chance
in the ninth game and subsequently clinched the decider with a 6-4 score line.
In the evening session, the American seed faced a bitter reality. He plucked the opening set but stepped off gas afterwards. As a result, Fish suffered a 7-5, 1-6, 2-6 loss against France’s Richard Gasquet. He capitalised on three out of eight break opportunities
but was broken six times to exit from the tournament.
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