Heart scare leaves Fish trying to rally against inner demons

TENNIS:MARDY FISH doesn't like going to sleep at the moment. Two and a half months ago the 30-year-old American was diagnosed with tachycardia; an accelerated heartbeat, to use the vernacular. He underwent a medical procedure to try and correct the problem.

Six weeks ago he still slept attached to a heart monitor.

On Tuesday he returned to competitive tennis, winning his first round match at Wimbledon against Spain’s Ruben Ramirez-Hidalgo, who at 34 is the oldest man in the singles draw.

He was ill after that match – a stomach problem induced by taking pain medication for his arm – and so missed his press conference.

Yesterday he fulfilled that remit and spoke with striking candour about the anxiety that compromises his ability to sleep.

“The confidence part is really the only thing. It about me convincing myself that everything is fine and that the doctors have given me the go-ahead. During the day I don’t have any issues.

“It’s just when I don’t feel perfect or exactly the way that I feel I should be, that’s when I get into a bit of trouble. When I don’t feel well right now, I sort of automatically go to the struggles I have had in the past couple of months; hopefully that will change over time.

“In the past few months I have stayed home every day; felt comfortable. The hardest part is trusting that everything is fine, because it is, and everything structurally is fine.”

There were times, about 10 days before the French Open, that he began to wonder, hooked up to the monitor, whether he would ever get back. At that point he hadn’t undergone the procedure, which has given him more confidence.

Ironically, given the strenuous nature of professional sport, the 10th seed feels more comfortable out on the court. He’s a little winded from time to time, bemoaning how the medical hiatus has intruded on his conditioning, but he’s found playing tennis has been therapeutic; he has less time to think and with every game his confidence levels increase.

Being alone with his thoughts is the thing he abhors most at the moment because the slightest twinge sends his mind racing, which is nearly as counterproductive as his heart.

In accounting for Ramirez-Hildalgo he played his traditional serve-and-volley brand of tennis, piling up 63 winners in the process. Today he faces, England’s James Ward, ranked 173 in the world, and it’s possible to sense he’s grateful to be on less emotive ground, conversationally.

He played Ward once before in Atlanta but has seen a little of him on television, including his first round match here at Wimbledon.

“He’s got a good grass court game, got that sort of confidence that’s good for him.

“That guy that I played had never won a grass court match but he’s still a great player. He’s here for a reason and these guys are in the second round on merit.”

Fish will open proceedings on Court One today, genuinely grateful that he’s back playing a sport he loves.