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Red hot Roddick takes on childhood buddy Fish in Cincinnati final
Cincinnati (USA), Aug 17: Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish will play the big final match they dreamed about as boyhood friends today at the Tennis Masters series-Cincinnati.
Cincinnati (USA), Aug 17: Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish will play the big final match they dreamed about as boyhood friends today at the Tennis Masters series-Cincinnati.
Seventh-seeded Roddick moved one step away from capturing his fifth title of the year with a 7-6 (7/5) 6-4 semi-final win over Max Mirnyi of Belarus in the first semi-final.
Then 41st-ranked Fish, playing the best tennis of his career but still without a title on the ATP Tour, earned his spot against Roddick with a hard fought 7-6 (7/4) 7-6 (8/6) victory over eighth-seeded Rainer Schuettler of Germany.
"It's something we always dreamed about, playing in a final, back when we were 17 and living together," said 21-year-old Fish, who resided in the Roddick's Boca Raton household for his junior year in high school.
"We go way back," said the 20-year-old Roddick of his childhood buddy. "I mean, he lived at my house through our junior year of high school. I mean, literally, five feet away from my door was where he stayed. So we were more like brothers that year where we'd fight sometimes - we definitely know each other pretty well."
The two have played on two previous occasions - Fish won their battle in Delray Beach this past March when Roddick retired in the first round match with an ankle injury.
Roddick won their quarterfinal meeting two weeks ago in Washington DC in straight sets.
This final will be played by the youngest finalists here since 21-year-old Stefan Edberg beat 19-year-old Boris Becker in 1987.
Bureau Report
Seventh-seeded Roddick moved one step away from capturing his fifth title of the year with a 7-6 (7/5) 6-4 semi-final win over Max Mirnyi of Belarus in the first semi-final.
Then 41st-ranked Fish, playing the best tennis of his career but still without a title on the ATP Tour, earned his spot against Roddick with a hard fought 7-6 (7/4) 7-6 (8/6) victory over eighth-seeded Rainer Schuettler of Germany.
"It's something we always dreamed about, playing in a final, back when we were 17 and living together," said 21-year-old Fish, who resided in the Roddick's Boca Raton household for his junior year in high school.
"We go way back," said the 20-year-old Roddick of his childhood buddy. "I mean, he lived at my house through our junior year of high school. I mean, literally, five feet away from my door was where he stayed. So we were more like brothers that year where we'd fight sometimes - we definitely know each other pretty well."
The two have played on two previous occasions - Fish won their battle in Delray Beach this past March when Roddick retired in the first round match with an ankle injury.
Roddick won their quarterfinal meeting two weeks ago in Washington DC in straight sets.
This final will be played by the youngest finalists here since 21-year-old Stefan Edberg beat 19-year-old Boris Becker in 1987.
Bureau Report