ESPN Tennis

Updated: January 20, 2007, 9:40 PM ET

Fish hoping quick start in '07 is an omen

Mardy Fish is finally healthy and although unseeded, he is responsible for the upset of this year's Aussie Open.

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By Matt Wilansky
ESPN.com
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Just as quickly as Mardy Fish climbed his way up the ATP ladder, he all but disappeared. A slew of injuries derailed his progress for a good portion of two years. In the second half of the 2004 season and through most of 2005, Fish spent as much time off the court healing as he did on it.

But that was two years ago. And now, for the first time since 2003, the American is hoping to get through an entire season healthy. If he is able to stay injury-free, Fish could very well get his ranking back to where it was three years ago, in the top 20.

Currently at the Australian Open, and thanks in part to Wayne Arthurs, who retired down 0-3 in the first set of their Thursday third-round match, Fish has reached his first career round-of-16 appearance in a Grand Slam.

"It's about time some luck was on his side. After all that Fish has gone through, he deserved that break," said ESPN tennis analyst Luke Jensen. Fish's next opponent is David Ferrer, the No. 16 seed from Spain. All indications favor Fish. Ferrer is coming off a five-set win over Radek Stepanek, a match in which he had to climb back from a two-set deficit. Said Jensen, "Fish has a decisive advantage because the surface here is playing quicker. He'll go into that match with fresh legs, unlike his opponent."

Don't think Fish has had a cakewalk in Melbourne, though. His first-round opponent was the bald-headed, big-hitting Ivan Ljubicic, the No. 4 seed. After dropping the first set, Fish won the next three, sending the Croat home a lot sooner than expected. As it stands now, Fish is responsible for the only elimination of a top-10 player from the Australian Open.

Fish made his pro debut in 2000, but spent the majority of his time in tennis' version of the minor leagues, playing in the Futures circuits and Challenger tournaments. It took him three years before he finally had a breakthrough. In 2003, Fish's game noticeably reached new heights and he won his first career title in Stockholm. He was also the only player to take a set off Roger Federer at Wimbledon that season before the Swiss upended him in the third round.

Robert Cianflone/Getty ImagesMardy Fish is hoping to play a full season on the ATP tour for the first time since 2003.

But for all of Fish's accomplishments that season, he played second fiddle to a more celebrated duo of young Americans -- Andy Roddick and James Blake. In 2003, Roddick-mania took center stage when he won the U.S. Open and then finished the season as the world's top-ranked player. He frequented magazine covers and his off-the-court activities were covered heavily by the media.

Fish didn't care, though; life on the ATP Tour was good. Said Jensen, "He was just a guy who wanted to win. He had a big-time game and top-notch talent." Fish reached his first Masters Series final that year. He held two match points versus good buddy Roddick until succumbing in a third-set tiebreaker.

Unfortunately for him, though, Fish's career took an unexpected turn. In 2004, the injury bug hit, derailing his progress. He was sidelined for seven weeks with hip tendinitis.

"It's unfortunate that his injuries came at such a bad time," said Jensen. "He was making huge strides, not just in 2003, but in 2004 in Athens. Remember, he was a silver medalist at the Olympics that year." Fish took Nicolas Massu into the fifth set but was unable to put the match away and take home the gold.

In 2005, a wrist injury forced the American to miss all but three tournaments after the French Open. Fish saw his ranking plummet to No. 227. "That was a low point in his career. He had worked so hard to get to where he was. He was quickly becoming a legitimate threat on tour. The timing couldn't have been worse," said Jensen.

Fish began his comeback in 2006. He was awarded a wild card into the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships in April and promptly won, defeating Austrian Jurgen Melzer in the final.

"I wasn't surprised he could win a title, but I was shocked he was able to do it on that surface," said Jensen. "Fish was relentless in his pursuit to get back. I am not at all surprised he was able to get back and be successful. Coming back after missing so much time is difficult for anyone, especially when you're in the prime of your career and so much time is spent rehabbing. Fish worked his tail off, though."

By year's end, Fish's ranking had leaped 80 spots. And this season, he's off to a balmy start. He reached the semifinals of Auckland last week before making his current run at the Australian Open.

"Yeah, I'm just happy. I'm just real happy that I could do it at a place -- at a big tournament like this," Fish told reporters after upsetting Ljubicic. "I saw it as an opportunity. I feel like I'm playing well. I feel like if I can have everything click, you know, starting with the serve, then having the forehand that I changed, hitting that well, anything can happen."

Said Jensen, "The sky's the limit for this guy. Remember, he has something to prove, much like Peyton Manning and the Colts do, and that is a huge motivational factor."

Matt Wilansky is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to the tennis page.