Last American Standing

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The last time Mardy Fish was the last American standing at a big tennis event he made the final. Remember? The 2004 Athens Olympics. The event where Tomas Berdych defeated Roger Federer.

Today, on the day that Serena and Venus Williams, both on the comeback from injury and/or illness, were dismissed, Mardy beat Tomas Berdych in straight sets to advance to his first Wimbledon quarterfinal and become the last American player in either singles draw.

He's 29-years-old.

There have been a few veterans' day tales at this Championships. Poland's 29-year-old Lukasz Kubot, a doubles specialist, made the second week of a Slam for the first time in his singles career and was a point away from making the final eight before allowing Feliciano Lopez, who ousted three-time finalist Andy Roddick, to take the match 7-5 in the fifth. 40-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm and 31-year-old Venus Williams gave us a finals-worthy epic in the second round.

But Mardy's is the tale that warms the most and might be the most under appreciated. He's battled injury after injury, weight, and the shadow of Andy Roddick. He can beat anybody when he puts his mind to it, but has faltered on the biggest stages. Like when he blew a two-set-to-love lead to Nicolas Massu in the Athens Olympics Gold Medal match.

At a Slam, he's never been here before.

He's 29-years-old.

For the life of me, I can't remember where I read that the top American men aren't getting the respect they deserve from the American tennis media. It was an article about tennis stats, I think. Whoever wrote it, and I credit you, was onto something.

On the ATP (some would say it's biased toward Americans) tennis page, as of this writing, Mardy's accomplishment isn't even a headline. I suppose the "Royal Watchers" took his place? Is Mardy the oldest player in the Open Era to make a debut in the Wimbledon quarterfinals?

I'm not a stats guy, so I'm not sure.

As the last American standing, I'm also not sure Mardy makes the final this time. He has a puncher's chance. If John Isner can get two sets off Rafa on clay, on grass, Mardy can get....

I don't know. But whatever happens next...

Mardy deserves a standing ovation.

Get up.