With no American players present during the first major claycourt event of the season in Monte Carlo, guessing the chances of the US contingent on the dirt this year is like being on an episode of “Deal or No Deal.”
Another reality show transplanted from the UK, the NBC program asks contestants to guess the amount of money in a briefcase and try to maximize their winnings. They must decide whether to take the money being offered for an unopened briefcase, or take a chance and find out its contents – which may lead to a bigger prize or a wipe out.
A bevy of beauties are on display to reveal the contents of each briefcase in suspenseful fashion. Among them is Stacey Gardner. And not only does she have a gig on one of the biggest hits on television, she spends some of her free time on the tennis tour, accompanying boyfriend Mardy Fish to ATP events.
She was present alongside Fish’s coach Todd Martin two weeks ago in Houston, wearing khaki slacks, Gucci belt, and a black camisole, Gardner braved the dipping evening temperatures to stand by her man—until he lost to Mariano Zabaleta in the second round. Fish was the defending champion at the event.
The two have been a couple for quite some time now, with Fish posting a picture of Gardner as one of his “friends” on his My Space page as early as last November. Gardner reciprocated the gesture on her own My Space page.
Set to the music of Jake Owen’s “8 Second Ride,” Fish’s page also lists Bob Bryan as a “friend.”
Gardner, 26, is one year older than Fish. She has not only the modeling chops to compete on television screens and magazine pages, but is also a graduate of Southwestern University School of Law, from which she completed her law degree in 2005. Although she has passed her Board Exams, the Beverly Hills, Calif. native is not currently a practicing attorney as she is pursuing her modeling aspirations.
Filming for the upcoming season of Deal or No Deal wrapped up shortly prior to the US Men’s Clay Court Championships, allowing Gardner to fly into Houston just in time to watch Fish try to defend his title.
“We were shooting from 7 a.m. to midnight for a week,” she told Tennis.com. “So now we are on hiatus.”
While Fish fell short of his goal, a pleasant and approachable Gardner remained cheerful and approachable. She stopped in the lobby of the clubhouse at Westside Tennis and Fitness following the match to chat and even console some of Fish’s younger fans, joking with one that she “may have some competition” when it came to her boyfriend.
With a month off from her presenting duties, Gardner says she will accompany the American to some European tournaments, though she didn’t yet know which ones.
In any case, it appears that Fish has a good “deal” by having Gardner in his box.