Mardy Fish's career ended with his legs cramping badly in a fifth set at the U.S. Open.
The 33-year-old American had a chance to serve out an upset of 18th-seeded Feliciano lopez in the fourth set of their second-round match Wednesday, but nerves took over. He had three straight unforced errors then double-faulted to be broken at love, and lopez quickly won the next two games as well to force the deciding set.
Fish, whose career was derailed by anxiety disorder, hung in there in the fifth on a hot, humid day, but his legs were clearly cramping more and more and he was able to move less and less. Finally when he was serving at 3-4, his leg seized up in the middle of a point. lopez, who was dealing with nerves of his own in the final set, broke then closed out the 2-6, 6-3, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory after 3 hours, 11 minutes.
Fish, a former top-10 player, decided to end his career here to try to make some new memories at Flushing Meadows. In 2012, what should have been one of his best moments turned into the worst, when he withdrew because of a panic attack before his fourth-round match against Roger Federer.
Keys through to the third Young American Madison Keys has reached the third round at the U.S. Open for the first time.
The 19th-seeded Keys needed just 54 minutes to beat 100th-ranked Tereza Smitkova of Czech Republic 6-1, 6-2 in a matchup of 20-year-olds.
Keys has now advanced to at least the third round at every major this year, which started with her breakthrough run to the semifinals at the Australian Open.
Keys, who didn't face a break point Wednesday, could meet Serena Williams in the fourth round. Before that, she could play 15th-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska, who beat her in three sets in the Wimbledon quarterfinals.
lucky loser wins again Daria Kasatkina is a lucky winner.
The 133rd-ranked Russian teen lost in U.S. Open qualifying Friday, but when third-seeded Maria Sharapova withdrew Sunday because of an injury, Kasatkina was suddenly in her first Grand Slam main draw as a "lucky loser."
She proceeded to upset 38th-ranked Daria Gavrilova in the first round the next day, then won again Wednesday to become the first lucky loser to reach the women's third round since 1993.
Kasatkina defeated 79th-ranked Ana Konjuh 6-4, 6-4. In a quarter of the draw full of upsets, she will face yet another unseeded player in the next round, 40th-ranked Kristina Mladenovic or 98th-ranked Bojana Jovanovski.
Easy START for top guns Five-time champion Roger Federer and 2012 winner Andy Murray reached the US Open second round on Tuesday as the crushing heat took the number of first-round retirements to a record 10.
Second-seeded Federer had little trouble in seeing off Argentina's world number 34 leonardo Mayer 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 in just 77 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The 34-year-old Swiss, bidding to become the oldest champion in New York in 45 years, fired 12 aces, 29 winners and broke serve six times.
"I feel good now. I actually wasn't so confident yesterday. I just felt like maybe it could be one of those matches I just couldn't see coming," said Federer.
The 17-time Grand Slam champion goes on to face Belgium's Steve Darcis, who was handed a place in the next stage when Cypriot veteran Marcos Baghdatis retired injured with a groin strain.
It was the 10th retirement in the men's event in the first round; there have also been two pullouts in the women's draw.
Third seed Murray downed the sport's latest bogeyman, Nick Kyrgios, 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 for his fourth win in four meetings against the Australian and third in three Grand Slam matchups this year.
The British star, who has made at least the quarter-finals in New York every year since 2010, goes on to tackle France's Adrian Mannarino.