ATP Paribas Open: Mardy Fish returned to action but couldn't beat Ryan Harrison
Friday 13 March 2015 14:05, UK
Mardy Fish made his return after an 18-month absence but was eliminated by Ryan Harrison from the first round of the ATP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
Once the world No 7 and a 2008 Indian Wells runner-up to Novak Djokovic, Fish hadn’t played competitively for nearly two years after heart troubles.
Fish had two match points but couldn’t get the job done allowing Harrison to advance 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 in two hours and 36 minutes.
Harrison avoided Fish’s pair of winning opportunities in the third set to force a tie-breaker which he closed out with an ace - he'll face Kei Nishikori next.
Fish said: "I worked extremely hard to put myself in the best position to not have to worry about things when I was out there if I was out of shape or if I didn't feel well or if it was going to be a long match or a hot match or something like that, when a lot more things creep into your head."
Andy Murray will face Vasel Pospisil in the next round after the Canadian profited from Mikhail Kukushkin's withdrawal through injury.
American wild-card Tim Smyczek navigated his way past Benjamin Becker, Borna Coric eliminated Andreas Haider-Maurer while Juan Monaco, Jarkko Nieminen and Jurgen Melzer were also among the first-round winners.
First round results
Albert Ramos (ESP) bt Viktor Troicki (SRB) 6-4, 6-4
Federico Delbonis (ARG) bt Dusan Lajovic (SRB) 6-4, 6-3
Juan Monaco (ARG) bt Teimuraz Gabashvili (RUS) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
Ivan Dodig (CRO) bt Joao Sousa (POR) 6-3, 7-5
Vasek Pospisil (CAN) bt Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) 6-4, 4-2 abandon
Tim Smyczek (USA) bt Benjamin Becker (GER) 6-3, 7-6 (7/4)
Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) bt Thiemo de Bakker (NED) 7-6 (7/3), 6-4
Ryan Harrison (USA) bt Mardy Fish (USA) 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7/3)
Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) bt Marinko Matosevic (AUS) 5-7, 6-4, 6-3
Adrian Mannarino (FRA) bt Mischa Zverev (GER) 6-4, 6-4
Daniel Gimeno (ESP) bt Samuel Groth (AUS) 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (8/6)
Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) bt Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) 7-6 (7/3), 6-3
Jurgen Melzer (AUT) bt Dennis Novikov (USA) 6-4, 6-4
Borna Coric (CRO) bt Andreas Haider-Maurer (AUT) 6-4, 6-4
James Duckworth (AUS) bt Dominic Thiem (AUT) 7-6 (7/5), 6-1
