Bryan brothers not surprised at Fish withdrawal from U.S. Open

NEW YORK -- Mike and Bob Bryan, the second-seeded doubles team at the U.S. Open, moved into the men’s doubles quarterfinals with a 6-7 (6), 7-5, 6-3 victory over 16th-seeded Santiago Gonzalez and Scott Lipsky on Monday, but it was concern for fellow American Mardy Fish that was the first topic of conversation for the twins who grew up in Camarillo.

Earlier in the day Fish withdrew from his scheduled fourth-round singles match against top-seeded Roger Federer. Fish, who missed more than two months of tennis in the spring after having a procedure done on his heart, cardiac catheter ablation, to correct a problem with an irregular heart beat, didn’t specify why he pulled out of the Open.

Bob Bryan said he and Mike saw Fish in the locker room Monday. “He didn’t look right,” Bob said. Mike added, “Anything goes wrong with your heart is scary ... speeding up or slowing down, doesn’t matter. He’s worried about it for sure.”

Fish issued a statement through the United States Tennis Assn. that said he withdrew for “precautionary” reasons and that he hoped to continue playing this fall.

Federer also issued a statement saying, “I am really sorry for Mardy. I just want to wish him a speedy recovery. We all want to see him back on the tour soon.”

In the quarterfinals, Federer will face sixth-seeded Tomas Berdych, who beath 11th-seeded Nicolas Almagro, 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-1, on Monday. Berdych might still be best known for upsetting Federer in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in 2010.

“It will be a tough match against Tomas,” Federer said in his statement. “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.”

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