Both Mardy Fish and Olivier Rochus have been on the tour for a long time.  They’ve only met three times, but each time, it’s been a challenge.  They first met back in 2002 at Long Island which Fish won 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.  They met once again, this time in Lyon, France, and Rochus won 6-7(5), 7-6(6), 7-6(15).  In the third set, Rochus saved 5 match points before winning.

This tournament must have seemed like deja vu all over again for Fish.  At Queen’s, most of the top seeds were gone, and it was Sam Querrey as the top seed remaining meeting Fish in the finals.  Querrey won that match.  Here at Newport, most of the top seeds were gone and it was Mardy Fish, the fifth seed, against Olivier Rochus, the fourth seed.

Rochus won the first set, 7-5.  Fish took the second, 6-3.  The two were tied 4-all in the third when Fish made a push to break, and after a lot of deuces, Fish broke.  But Fish wasn’t home free yet, getting down early in the game, and looking to be broken, Fish held tight, and eventually hit a volley into the open court to win his first ATP grass title.

Much was made of the weight that Fish has lost, going from 200 lbs to 170 lbs, partly on the advice of Andy Roddick.  Fish was willing to chase down drop shots and lobs as Rochus, the shortest man on tour at 5’6″, moved Fish front and back relentlessly.

And now a week off and the US Open series starts in Atlanta.  This is the first year Atlanta hosts the US Open Series and replaces Indianapolis in that role.