Mikhael Youzhny gives his farewell performance at the ATP World Tour 250 tournament in St. Petersburg. The Russian veteran won a total of ten titles on the tour.
Among the journalists who supervise the ATP tournament in Munich, a nice little certainty has developed over the years: The field is not complete as long as the name Mikhail Youzhny is missing. Somehow the 36-year-old made it back into the 28 grid at the MTTC Iphitos.
That this was no longer the case in the current season was a serious warning sign for all sympathizers of the Russian and his coach Boris Sobkin. And indeed: Mikhail Youzhny will not only be missing in Munich in the future, but on the entire ATP tour.
The tournament in St.Petersburg, at which Youzhny once again received a wild card, will be the last in a career that the right-hander has registered a total of ten tournament victories. the last 2013 in Valencia, of course Munich is not missing in the list, 2010 war´s.
If the inclined tennis lover should get himself a textbook about tennis, then it is quite possible that individual strokes of Mikhail Youzhny are modelled there. Especially the backhand, played with one hand and in the best days of the Russian a feast for the eyes with half a point guarantee.
Although Youzhny lacked the big guns, he still managed to torture the big players from time to time: four victories against Rafael Nadal, one of them at the 2006 US Open, where Youzhny also challenged Roger Federer over the full distance last year and the Swiss had every effort to defend his flawless record against Youzhny.
“I can say that I had a great career,” Youzhny, who was also called The Colonel after his victories because of his saluting, told the ATP website. Until the middle of the year, he felt that he could actually still play, but then there would simply have been too many close defeats. The time to regain strength was simply too short.
And added a nice thought. “I don’t want my children to live my life. “It’s time for me to live my children’s lives.” Maxim (eight years old) and Igor (6) wird´s, wife Yulia anyway.
Now it is up to Mirza Basic to send the well-earned old master into retirement. The match is scheduled for prime time on Wednesday in St. Petersburg, perhaps tears will flow. Munich journalists will certainly also become sentimental. Even if it is already clear earlier who is really serving the Aumeister.