Michael Russell Makes Quick Work of Donald Young in Atlanta
by Rick Limpert on Jul 18, 2011 8:52 PM EDT
in Coverage
Email
Print
NORCROSS, Georgia - In the match that opened the 2011 Atlanta Tennis Championships and kicked off the Olympus U.S. Open Series, Houston resident Michael Russell did a 73-minute Texas Two-Step around fellow American Donald Young.
Russell never veered from his game plan, peppering the Young backhand and keeping enough balls in play to frustrate his younger opponent. The 33-year-old Russell appeared fresh and ready to rally all day if necessary. Young, a wild card recipient playing in his hometown, seemed sluggish and bothered the entire match.
Trailing 6-0, 1-0, Young called an injury timeout. Following the timeout, Young converted his only break point of the match to even the score. The momentum was short-lived, as Russell broke back in the next game and retook control of the match winning 6-0, 6-3.
Young’s first serve percentage was only 53%, with no aces and two double faults. Russell’s first serve percentage was 73%, and he converted five of seven break point opportunities.
The USTA now faces a dilemma whether to extend additional wild cards to Young as he struggles with his game heading into the U.S. Open.
Other winners on the first day of the Atlanta Tennis Championships included James Blake, Tatsuma Ito, Gilles Muller, and Somdev Devvarman.
3 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Oh Donald, you always dissapoint...
But I like the fight from Blake, down 4-0 in a tiebreak. sounds like he has a huge crowd advantage from listening to radio tennis.
Gotta love Russell, he is a fighter…
People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring. ~Rogers Hornsby
Let me emphasize that I'm not kidding
Why the USTA keeps giving this guy wildcards seemingly as a matter of right is beyond me. Yes, he was very good at age 16. But then he never got any better. USTA: cut your losses. Give the wildcards to Jack Sock, or Rhyne Williams, or Dennis Kudla, or any other promising young american who doesn’t seem intent on breaking the single season record for most bagels received.
...just apologize for not thanking me.
