Monday, January 22, 2007
Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish will be opponents in the Australian open.
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Hey, Mardy: It's time to pay the rent.
That was Andy Roddick's joking line Sunday to old house mate and buddy Mardy Fish. They will meet Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, and Roddick will take any edge he can find. They'll still be friends afterward, but neither should expect any favors once the first serve toss goes up.
Their relationship goes back years. In 1999, Fish lived with Roddick's family in Boca Raton, Fla., for a year during high school. They played on the tennis and basketball teams together. They raced their cars to class in the morning.
"I think it's always a little bit weird when we play each other just 'cause of our history," Roddick said, recalling how Fish's bedroom was "four steps from the door of my room."
Fish, a year older at 25, recalls how they used to think about a matchup like the one that lies ahead.
"Just growing up, we've kind of dreamt about, talked about playing in the quarterfinals, finals, whatever, of Slams, big tournaments and stuff," he said.
Familiar opponents
Fish reckons that he and Roddick have played each other in practice almost every day for two or three years. From all indications, stepping across the lines on the court put friendship on hold for two very competitive guys.
Fish was asked if he'll have to match Roddick's intensity and aggressiveness.
"Absolutely, absolutely," he said. "That's no different than how we've been playing. We were more like brothers when we were growing up than best friends any ways. We fought all the time.
"He's real intense. No one out here really wants it more. He's a fiery guy, very feisty, hates to lose. He just works his butt off. He knows I want to win just as bad as he wants to win."
For a pair of players with so much in common, they've taken very different paths.
Roddick's background
Roddick owns a U.S. Open title, was runner-up in three other Grand Slam events and rose to No. 1 three years ago. He owns major endorsement contracts, and his love life is tabloid fodder. He is seeded sixth in Melbourne after slipping out of the top 10 last year before persuading Jimmy Connors to rejoin the tennis world and coach him.
Fish climbed as high as 17th in the rankings in 2004. Then came injuries.
First it was hip tendinitis, then two operations on his left wrist that affected his two-fisted backhand.
His ranking plummeted to 341st last year before he started climbing the ladder again.
He's No. 42, and four victories in this event -- including an upset over fourth-ranked Ivan Ljubicic in the first round and a 6-1, 7-6 (4), 2-6, 7-5 win over 16th-seeded David Ferrer -- mean he's moving up no matter what happens Tuesday.
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