I’ll never forget watching Michael Russell against then No. 1 Gustavo Kuerten in the fourth round of the 2001 French Open.  Russell, a qualifer then ranked 122 in the world, won the first two sets and was up 5-2, and held a match point but couldn’t close it out.  He lost in five sets, and Kuerten went on to win his second French Open, defending his championship from the previous year.  I wonder how Russell’s career would have been different if he had won one more point, and moved into the quarters.

Russell, who turned 32 on Jan. 5, has held an ATP ranking since 1995, mostly out of the top 100, and often far below.  He has been as high as 60 in the world, reaching that mark in 2007.  He recently climbed back into the top 100, and stands at 90, although he was 79 in October after winning a challenger event.  He has a tough draw, going up against No. 4 Juan Martin Del Potro on the first day of the Aussie Open.  (On a side note, U.S. Davis Cup Patrick McEnroe should consider giving him a shot against Serbia in March on the clay there — it’s his best surface, and without Roddick and Blake, the U.S. goes into Serbia very thin.) 

Journeyman is a term often used for players like Russell, meaning they’ve traveled the world but have never been able to crack the top ranks of the game.  I’m sure you’ll heard it bandied about if his match get much air time (It probably will, since he’s playing Del Potro — they are the third match on the Hisense Arena on day one).   But the determination of a player like Russell who has fought 17 years on the tour should not be under-appreciated.  No media ever covers these guys, but they continue fighting into their thirties.  Russell, by the way, has outlasted Kuerten, who retired in 2007.   

I keep hoping for a Rocky-like character to emerge from American tennis, and tonight, I’m pulling for Mike.  (Check out his Facebook page if you want to cheer him on.)

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