Mardy Fish to play at the Citi Open – Tennis News
American number one, Mardy Fish, has committed to this year’s ATP World Tour 500 event in Washington, which will be held from 28th July to 5th August.
Tournament director, Jeff Newman, said, “We’re thrilled to have the top-ranked American, Mardy Fish, committed early to this year’s Citi Open. 2012 is a big year for the tournament – with a new title sponsor, the inclusion of a
WTA women’s event this year, and new facility upgrades – and so it’s exciting to also have a Top 10 player participating in our event.”
The tournament has been renamed after the change of title sponsor this year, becoming Citi Open from Legg Mason Tennis Classic.
Tournament chairman, Donald Dell, said, “We are fortunate to have one of the world’s most recognised and prestigious brands now entitling our tournament. We’re grateful to have had a long and prosperous relationship with Legg Mason.”
The event is one of the top 20 tournaments on the ATP World Tour and has always attracted top tennis players. Andre Agassi has won this title the most number of times at five, while Jimmy Connors, Guillermo Villas and Andy Roddick
are three-time past champions. Some of the biggest legends of the sport have remained titlists here including twice winners Ivan Lendl, Michael Chang, Juan Martin Del Potro and one time champions Arthur Ashe, Stefan Edberg, Yannick Noah, James Blake, Lleyton
Hewitt, Tim Henman.
Fish will be looking to grab the Citi Open title for the first time in his career. He missed this event last year, as he was forced to withdraw due to an injury he received at preceding week’s Farmers Classic tournament. The American
has never gone beyond the last eight-stage, losing in the quarter-finals in his first two appearances in Washington.
Playing for the first time in Washington, the right-hander was defeated by the then world number six, Andy Roddick, in straight sets 1-6, 4-6 in the quarter-final in 2003. In his latest appearance, the American was toppled by Croatian,
Marin Cilic, in three sets 4-6, 6-4, 2-6 in the round of 16 in 2010.
Fish has not won any title in this season so far, having a win/loss record of 7-6. His only notable performance came at the Sony Ericsson Open, where he reached the quarter-finals, losing to Juan Monaco in straight sets 1-6, 3-6.
The American was stunned by countryman, Michael Russell, in straight sets 3-6, 1-6 in the second round at the US Men’s Clay Court Tennis Championship earlier this month.
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