Roger Federer is into his 34th consecutive grand slam quarterfinal, but this time, by a walkover. His fourth round opponent, Mardy Fish, withdrew early afternoon, just hours before the scheduled match time.
Via USOpen.org: Mardy Fish, the No. 23 seed, has withdrawn from the 2012 US Open due to health concerns. Roger Federer advances to the quarterfinals via walkover.
“I regret that I have to withdraw from the US Open for precautionary measures,” Fish said in a statement. “I was reluctant to do so, but am following medical advisement. I had a good summer and look forward to resuming my tournament schedule in the fall.”
Federer expressed his best wishes for Fish’s health and next faces No. 6 Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals.
“I am really sorry for Mardy. I just want to wish him a speedy recovery. We all want to see him back on tour soon,” Federer said. “It will be a tough match against Tomas. We have played many times in the past and he has always been a tough opponent. I will have to continue to serve well and dictate the points.”
The Swiss maestro will face Tomas Berdych in the US Open quarterfinals on Wednesday.
Watch the 2012 US Open on FF07tv. See Roger Federer’s Nike outfit for the Open here. Download the US Open 2012 mobile app for iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch), and Android.
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