# Mike Fishbach > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Mike_Fishbach > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Mike_Fishbach.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Fishbach > Source revision: 1259162896 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|American tennis player}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}} {{Infobox tennis biography | name = Mike Fishbach | image = | alt = | caption = | fullname = Michael Fishbach | country_represented = {{USA}} | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|12|1}} | birth_place = [The Bronx](/source/The_Bronx), [New York](/source/New_York_(state)), U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | plays = Right-handed | careerprizemoney = | singlesrecord = 17–41 | singlestitles = 0 | highestsinglesranking = No. 47 (January 16, 1978) | currentsinglesranking = | AustralianOpenresult = | FrenchOpenresult = 1R ([1978](/source/1978_French_Open_%E2%80%93_Men's_singles)) | Wimbledonresult = 1R ([1978](/source/1978_Wimbledon_Championships_%E2%80%93_Men's_singles)) | USOpenresult = 3R ([1977](/source/1977_US_Open_%E2%80%93_Men's_singles)) | doublesrecord = 38–51 | doublestitles = 1 | highestdoublesranking = | currentdoublesranking = | AustralianOpenDoublesresult = | FrenchOpenDoublesresult = 1R (1978) | WimbledonDoublesresult = 1R (1978) | USOpenDoublesresult = 3R (1978) }} '''Michael Fishbach''' (born December 1, 1954) is a former professional [tennis](/source/tennis) player from the United States. ==Biography== Fishbach, who grew up in [Great Neck, New York](/source/Great_Neck%2C_New_York), was a right-handed player, who famously used the controversial "[spaghetti racquet](/source/spaghetti_racquet)" at the [1977 US Open](/source/1977_US_Open_(tennis)).{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/magazine/the-chaotic-spectacle-of-the-1977-us-open.html|title=Queens Was Burning, Too|last=Steinbergeraug|first=Michael|date=August 23, 2012|work=[The New York Times Magazine](/source/The_New_York_Times_Magazine)|accessdate=29 November 2015}} The [racquet](/source/racquet), which was [double-strung](/source/Strings_(tennis)) and greatly increased topspin, was first used professionally by [Barry Phillips-Moore](/source/Barry_Phillips-Moore). While in a camera store in [Gstaad](/source/Gstaad), Switzerland, Fishbach found a similar racquet and although the owner didn't allow him to buy it, he examined it and set about making one of his own when he returned home. With help from his brother, Fishback used nylon strings, cord from a Venetian blind, plastic tubing, and adhesive tape to make the racquet, which he would use in the US Open. After getting through qualifying, he beat [Billy Martin](/source/Billy_Martin_(tennis)) in the first round and faced 16th seed [Stan Smith](/source/Stan_Smith) in the second round, a match he won easily 6–0, 6–2.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1356&dat=19770927&id=Gp9PAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4wUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3791,7169727&hl=en|title=Vilas Takes Zing Out of Controversial Racquet|date=September 27, 1977|work=[Star-Banner](/source/Star-Banner)|page=4B|accessdate=29 November 2015}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2519&dat=19770903&id=fuJdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Dl8NAAAAIBAJ&pg=1356,753640&hl=en|title=Romanian Tennis Star Upset|date=September 3, 1977|work=[Observer–Reporter](/source/Observer%E2%80%93Reporter)|page=C3|accessdate=29 November 2015}} His run ended in the third round when he lost to British player [John Feaver](/source/John_Feaver), who later described seeing balls coming off Fishback's racquet as looking like "an egg in flight". Several weeks later the racquet was banned, soon after [Guillermo Vilas](/source/Guillermo_Vilas) had conceded a match against [Ilie Năstase](/source/Ilie_N%C4%83stase) who was using one.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110869717 |title=Double-strung. |newspaper=[The Canberra Times](/source/The_Canberra_Times) |location=ACT |date=5 October 1977 |accessdate=29 November 2015 |page=32 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} By the end of the [1977 season](/source/1977_Grand_Prix_(tennis)), Fishbach was ranked in the world's top 50. In 1978, he made the main draw of both the [French Open](/source/1978_French_Open) and [Wimbledon](/source/1978_Wimbledon_Championships), in addition to the [US Open](/source/1978_US_Open_(tennis)).{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&dat=19800712&id=NwtWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7eEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6602,2910133&hl=en|title=Fishback still battling back|last=Farrell|first=Lynne|date=12 July 1980|work=[The Register-Guard](/source/The_Register-Guard)|page=3C|accessdate=29 November 2015}} He also had a win over [John Lloyd](/source/John_Lloyd_(tennis)) in the [Indianapolis Clay Court Championships](/source/1978_U.S._Men's_Clay_Court_Championships) that year and won a [Grand Prix](/source/Grand_Prix_tennis_circuit) doubles title at [Kitzbühel](/source/Austrian_Open_Kitzb%C3%BChel), with [Chris Lewis](/source/Chris_Lewis_(tennis)). His season ended in September when he ruptured two discs in his back. The injury was serious enough that he was unable to walk for six months and it wasn't until late in 1979 that he was able to return to tennis. He continued on the professional circuit until 1982 and now works as a whale conservationist. ==Grand Prix career finals== ===Doubles: 3 (1–2)=== {|class="sortable wikitable" !style="width:40px"|Result !style="width:30px" class="unsortable"|W/L !style="width:55px"|Date !style="width:150px"|Tournament !style="width:50px"|Surface !style="width:140px"|Partner !style="width:140px"|Opponents !style="width:110px" class="unsortable"|Score |- | style="background:#98fb98;"|Win | 1–0 | Jul 1978 | [Kitzbühel](/source/Austrian_Open_Kitzb%C3%BChel), Austria | Clay | {{flagicon|NZL}} [Chris Lewis](/source/Chris_Lewis_(tennis)) | {{flagicon|TCH}} [Pavel Huťka](/source/Pavel_Hu%C5%A5ka)
{{flagicon|TCH}} [Pavel Složil](/source/Pavel_Slo%C5%BEil) | 6–7, 6–4, 6–3 |- | style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss | 1–1 | Aug 1978 | [North Conway](/source/Volvo_International), U.S. | Clay | {{flagicon|RSA|1928}} [Bernard Mitton](/source/Bernard_Mitton) | {{flagicon|GBR}} [Robin Drysdale](/source/Robin_Drysdale)
{{flagicon|USA}} [Van Winitsky](/source/Van_Winitsky) | 6–4, 6–7, 3–6 |- | style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss | 1–2 | Aug 1982 | [Stowe](/source/Stowe_Open), U.S. | Hard | {{flagicon|USA}} [Eric Fromm](/source/Eric_Fromm) | {{flagicon|USA}} [Andy Andrews](/source/Andy_Andrews_(tennis))
{{flagicon|USA}} [John Sadri](/source/John_Sadri) | 3–6, 4–6 |} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * {{ATP}} * {{ITF}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Fishbach, Mike}} Category:1954 births Category:Living people Category:American male tennis players Category:Tennis players from New York (state) Category:20th-century American sportsmen --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Mike Fishbach](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Fishbach) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Fishbach?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.