Mikhail Youzhny would not have been too disappointed when he was replaced by Dmitry Tursunov
for the first of the reverse singles when Russia took on the USA in Moscow for a place in
the Davis Cup final. Tursunov edged a marathon five-setter to clinch victory for the home
team. Youzhny had given Russia a 2-0 lead on the opening day, producing an assured
performance to beat James Blake 7-5 1-6 6-1 7-5. Russia's Davis Cup captain Shamil
Tarpishchev had no reservations preferring him to the more highly-ranked Nikolay Davydenko.
"He is a smart player, he uses his head to construct a rally, to win a point," he said.
"He can hit every shot in the book, he can slice it, spin it, forehand, backhand, you name
it." He might have added that his one-handed backhand is one of the most glorious shots in
the game.
It capped a wonderful month for the 24-year-old who reached the semi-finals of the US Open
after sensationally beating world number two Rafael Nadal in four sets. His astonishing run
was finally halted by Andy Roddick in the semis.
Youzhny started playing tennis at the age of six. His older brother, Andrei, played Futures
events for a couple of years at the end of the 1990s. Mikhail's idol during his junior years
was Stefan Edberg. He reached the final of the Australian Open juniors in 1999 under the
guidance of his long-time coach Boris Sobkin, who is still at his side. Having turned pro,
he went on to capture four Futures titles that year and jumped over 700 ranking positions.
He had to wait until 2002 for his first ATP title, beating Guillermo Canas in five sets in
the Stuttgart final.
Russians will always have fond memories of the man they hailed as a hero when he came back
from two sets down to win an epic fifth rubber against Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu in the
2002 Davis Cup final in Paris. It was actually a difficult time for Youzhny, as he explains:
"It was a great match for our country because for first time we won the Davis Cup. But for
me, it was really tough time because three months before the Davis Cup, my father has died.
He doing a lot for me and he cannot watch this match. And I cannot be glad." If he can
avoid further recurrences of the back and knee injuries that have hampered him so far in his
career, his achievements this month suggest there will be more memorable moments ahead.
|
