Red-hot American Mardy Fish pulled out of
the $700,000 Farmers Classic tennis event on Tuesday, citing fatigue and an
ankle injury.
An eighth-seeded Fish was scheduled to meet German Benjamin Becker in an
opening-round match Tuesday night, but was replaced in the draw by Giovanni
Lapentti of Ecuador.
"Due to fatigue and a sprained ankle in Atlanta, I am not in good shape to
play," Fish said. "I need to rest in order to compete at a high level."
Becker beat Lapentti, 7-5, 7-6 (8-6), in the final match of the night on the
hardcourts at the Los Angeles Tennis Center.
Fish has won his last 10 matches, including two titles in his last two events.
He titled on grass in Newport two weeks ago and was last week's big winner on
the hardcourts in Atlanta, where he overtook 6-foot-9 fellow American John
Isner in the final amid some oppressive heat.
The 28-year-old Fish suffered the ankle injury during his second-round match
against fellow American Robby Ginepri last week.
American James Blake, the runner-up here in 2007, beat Argentine Leonardo
Mayer, 6-1, 6-4. Blake is ranked No. 117, his lowest since the week of May 30,
2005 when he was No. 127. He came back in June after missing two months with a
right knee injury and now has a second-round match against Becker.
Additional Day-2 wins came for South African Kevin Anderson, Ginepri and
fellow Americans Tim Smyczek and Ryan Sweeting, Colombian Alejandro Falla and
India's Somdev Devvarman.
This week's top seed is Australian Open runner-up Andy Murray. No. 2 seed and
defending champion Sam Querrey, No. 3 Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus and No. 6
Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia highlight Wednesdays second round action. Querrey,
who bested Aussie Carsten Ball in last year's finale, will meet Anderson.
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