You are browsing the archives of Michael Russell.

On Monday I was back and forth between the Grandstand and Armstrong courts, looking for the Rocky of tennis.  But something occurred to me as I watched the underdogs go down:  In boxing, you always hear about a puncher’s chance.  But in tennis, one great punch is only one point, and to win a best-of-five [...]

Most every  article or broadcast preview of the U.S. Open I’ve seen focuses on the obvious questions, as though most tennis journalists are sharing notes– will Nadal win his first Open?  Can Federer reclaim another title?  Is Murray going to cash the U.S. Open Series bonus check for obscene millions and go to Disney World [...]

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 [...]