Fish retires in Atlanta
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Two-time defending champion Mardy Fish retired from his opening match Thursday at the Atlanta Open tennis event.
The second-seeded American was leading Luxembourg's Gilles Muller 6-4, 3-2 when he called it quits due to a left ankle injury on the hardcourts at Atlantic Station.
Fish, who received a bye into the second round this week, stumbled while trying to return a drop shot and his left ankle appeared to buckle as he approached the net. He then dropped his racquet and fell to the court.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Minnesota native stayed on his back for about a minute before limping off the court for a short break. Fish returned to finish the fifth game of the second set with a pair of aces. But after he and Muller changed sides, Fish decided his day was over.
The 30-year-old Fish recently returned to the ATP World Tour after being sidelined for three months. He was slowed by fatigue-like symptoms and ultimately underwent a heart procedure called cardiac catheter ablation, which deals with misfiring electrical pulses in the heart.
Fish beat compatriot John Isner, last week's Newport champion, in the last two Atlanta finales.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Meanwhile, Aussie Matthew Ebden fired 20 aces before coming back to beat fading 32-year-old American James Blake 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 6-4. Ebden will meet Muller here on Friday.
The winner of this $477,900 tournament will pocket $86,270.