Mardy Fish Makes First Appearance in LA , Stanislas Wawrinka Bounced in Gstaad

LA Tennis Open—Los Angeles, California It is a rare occurrence for seeded players to begin their first action of the week on a Thursday. But with the new and (improved?) ATP, seeded program, players at a selected amount of tour stops receive first round byes in 32-man fields. The prime benefactors of the new system this week would be No. 2 seed Mardy Fish, and No. 4 seed Dudi Sela. Both men have made it through to Thursday, without striking a competitive ball. In all honestly, this new system benefits the players, but not the fans or the media. It may add to a stronger finish of an event, but the beginning stages will often times be lackluster. At any rate, Fish will be in action this evening against hard-serving Australian wild-card Chris Guccione. A serving shoot-out will be on deck, with Fish holding the upper hand with a better overall game—headed by his world-class two-hand backhand. Israeli, Dudi Sela will also make his first appearance at the event, against A...