Flushing Meadows

Flushing Meadows, NY (Sports Network) - Five-time champion Roger Federer received a walkover into the quarterfinals at the U. Alfredo Talavera Mexico Jersey .S. Open when his scheduled Monday opponent, 23rd-seeded Mardy Fish, pulled out of the draw in New York. Fish cited health concerns for his withdrawal. "I regret that I have to withdraw from the U.S. Open for precautionary measures," Fish said. "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." The 30-year-old Fish missed nearly three months of action earlier this season due to fatigue issues that led him to a medical procedure to correct a heart problem. He needed a cardiac catheter ablation to deal with misfiring electrical pulses in his heart. Fishs third-round victory against Frenchman Gilles Simon went five sets, lasting more than three hours before ending after 1 a.m. local time Sunday. The 31-year-old world No. 1 Federer titled here five straight years from 2004-08 and was the U.S. Open runner-up in 2009. He will meet 2010 Wimbledon runner-up Tomas Berdych on Wednesday. The amazing Federer, who captured his seventh Wimbledon title in July, will appear in a mens-record 34th straight Grand Slam quarterfinal. A sixth-seeded Berdych finally reached his first U.S. Open quarterfinal in his 10th trip to Flushing by whipping 11th-seeded Spaniard Nicolas Almagro 7-6 (7-4), 6-4, 6-1 at Armstrong Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Berdych smacked 17 aces in the two-hour affair. "At least good that I didnt stay that long on court, that I was able to save some energy, as well," Berdych said. The 26-year-old Berdych is the third Czech-born male in the Open Era to reach the quarterfinals at all four Grand Slam events, joining Hall-of-Famer Ivan Lendl and Petr Korda. Berdych is 3-3 in his last six matches against Federer, including a big upset of the Swiss great in the Wimbledon quarterfinals two years ago. "It will be a tough match against Tomas," Federer said. "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 last mens day session match on Monday saw 12th-seeded Croat Marin Cilic reach his third career and second U.S. Open quarterfinal with a 7-5, 6-4, 6-0 handling of upstart Slovak Martin Klizan in just over two hours. Cilic will meet third-seeded Andy Murray, who downed 15th seed Milos Raonic of Canada, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2. Raonic had six double faults, while Murray converted 4- of-12 break points. The British Murray captured an Olympic gold medal last month and was the 2008 U.S. Open runner-up to Federer. Andres Guardado World Cup Jersey . -- For every step forward in the preseason, there is always something that needs fine-tuning. Hugo Sanchez Mexico Jersey . -- Jarrod Dyson can still help the Kansas City Royals with his speed.ATLANTA -- John Smoltzs career got off to a rocky start. By the time he was done, it was good enough to ensure no one ever wears his number again for the Atlanta Braves. The team announced Monday that No. 29 will be retired and Smoltz will be inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame at Turner Field. The honours will take place during ceremonies on June 8, before the Braves begin a weekend series against the Toronto Blue Jays. "I always wanted to be clutch," said Smoltz, who won numerous big games over his 20-plus years with the Braves. He is the only pitcher with at least 200 wins and 150 saves. Smoltz spent nearly his entire career with the Braves before a bitter breakup led to him dividing his final season between Boston and St. Louis in 2009. But hes made amends with the Atlanta organization, says the city will be his lifelong home and is seen frequently around the ballpark in his new role as a broadcaster for TBS and the MLB Network. The right-hander will be the ninth Braves player to have his number retired by the team, joining two other pitchers who helped Atlanta win a record 14 straight division titles in the 1990s and 2000s -- Greg Maddux (31) and Tom Glavine (47). "We had such an incredible run and relationship," Smoltz said. "Those guys I played with are sure-fire Hall of Famers. They knew how to win baseball games. I learned a whole heck of a lot from them and just had a great time playing with them. I cant think of what life wouldve been like without those two." At the beginning, Smoltz had to overcome some significant setbacks. The Michigan native was drafted by his favourite team, the Detroit Tigers, only to be traded to the Braves in 1987 while he was still a minor leaguer. The deal, which sent veteran Doyle Alexander to Detroit, helped the Tigers seal an AL East title. But it eventually paid much bigger dividends for the Braves. "So many things happened for me that turned out for the best, but I didnt know it at the time," Smoltz said. "That trade was devastating in my life. At the time, there was nothing worse that couldve happened to me. Obviously, it was just a blip in my life. But when youre 20 and youre getting traded for the first time, you cant imagine what goes through your mind when you feel like youre not wanted by someone." Then, in 1991, he had a bitter contract dispute with the Braves, actually walking out of spring training for a couple of days, and got off to a 2-11 start that threatened his spot in the rotation. Hector Herrera Soccer Jersey. But Smoltz bounced back, going 12-2 the rest of the way, including a complete game that clinched the NL West championship and capped an improbable worst-to-first season for the Braves. Smoltz said walking out on the team and pitching the first half of the season with a chip on his shoulder were perhaps the only things he would change if he do it all over again. He credited Cox for sticking with him through the tough times. "Those actions were not reflective of the person I was. That was the hardest thing I ever had to do. I hated it. And, ultimately, it didnt get me anywhere," Smoltz said. "I obviously suffered the wrath for my mistakes in the first half of that season. I had an Ill show you mentality. I learned thats not the way to go about it." The 91 season marked the beginning of Atlantas unprecedented run of division titles, which was highlighted by a lone World Series title in 1995. While the Braves became known for their playoff flops, Smoltz went 15-4 with a 2.67 ERA and four saves in 41 post-season games. His best season was 1996, when he went 24-8 with a 2.94 ERA and won the NL Cy Young Award. But he is remembered more for his conversion from starter to closer in 2001, a move that was designed to relieve the stress on his elbow coming off major surgery. He wound up becoming one of the top relievers in the game, with a franchise-record 55 saves in his first full season handling the role. Then, he moved back to the starting rotation, going 44-24 over three seasons before persistent injuries finally ended his career. "I was not the strongest and I was not the fastest," Smoltz said. "But I was the most determined and the most dedicated. I always thought of myself as the most competitive guy on the field." Smoltz finished a career record of 213-155, 154 saves and a 3.33 ERA, numbers that might be good enough to land him an even bigger honour -- induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown. "John has contributed so much to Atlanta Braves history," said team President John Schuerholz, who was general manager during most of Smoltzs career. "Inducting him into our Hall of Fame and making sure no one else will ever wear his number 29, are the most meaningful and significant ways we can honour John." ' ' '