Mardy Fish could barely walk by the end. As his match against Feliciano López and his career as a professional tennis player hobbled toward the finish, Fish hopped on his left leg as his right hamstring cramped in the midday heat.
He had been so close to a second-round victory at the United States Open, so close to advancing in a tournament that he had pledged would be his last. After years spent coping with health issues, Fish hoped to savor his final Open experience. But his legs ultimately gave out on him in a 2-6, 6-3, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 loss to López, the No.