By Liza Horan

New York—An interesting back story always adds dimension to a tennis match. Tonight was loaded as former roommates James Blake and Mardy Fish faced each other for the fourth time in their careers. The two nice guys are close friends and share a similar demeanor—cool, calm, charming.

Even though the low-key Fish didn't emote much during or after the match—he's too respectful of Blake to act out, plus it's really not his way—be sure that advancing to the fourth round of the U.S. Open is a significant event in his life.

Two nights ago—after he beat Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu—I asked him about his "class" that grew up together in the juniors and turned pro together: Andy Roddick, James Blake, Robbie Ginepri, Bob and Mike Bryan, and himself.

He immediately compared his group to the one prior—Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Michael Chang and Todd Martin—and then compared himself to his peers.

"It's a tough era to come into, because you're coming into the Sampras and Agassi and Todd Martin and Courier and those guys. It's extremely tough to top that and to even come close to that, and we're certainly trying our hardest," Fish said. "Andy is certainly trying his hardest. He's been the No. 1 American and holding that flame for the better part of seven years. He's done an incredible job, as well as James, with all the pressure he's got now.

"I feel like I've kind of taken a back seat to that. I haven't quite given myself the opportunity to jump into the Top 10 since I was (No.) 22 in 2004. So I don't feel as much pressure as those guys to go deep in Grand Slams and things like that. Obviously I want to, and, you know, I'm trying my hardest just as well as everybody else is."

Reflecting on his history with Roddick, who he met while competing on the junior level, and Blake, with whom he roomed at Saddlebrook Tennis Academy when he was 18, Fish said, "Andy and I are more like brothers than anything else. We'll fight over pretty much everything. James and I almost the opposite. We get along extremely well. We get each other extremely well."

Anticipating the match with Blake, Fish said, "I think we'll probably put our friendship aside for just a couple hours."

Tonight's match seems poignant not only because it's the first time Fish has progressed this far in a major, but because of the way he won (straight sets with 16 aces) and because of who he beat (ninth-seeded Blake).

Fish is part of a respected peer group. Tonight, leveling his record against Blake at 2-2, proved his game is a rightful peer to theirs.

Next match: Fish faces No. 32 seed Gael Monfils of France, who upset seventh-seeded David Nalbandian of Argentina in straight sets.