Mikhail Youzhny's career ended as he did. While everyone was staring at the upcoming Laver Cup, the Colonel was playing his last game in the modest tournament in St. Petersburg before a local audience. The Russian was again in the shadow of the biggest, although he said farewell to the professional tennis after nearly 20 years of adventure and a total of 499 single-round wins.
Misha had the malhasa to be a part of an extremely talented generation;tennis players born in the late 1970s or early 80s. Everyone was talking about Federer, Hewitt, Roddick, Safin;subsequently to Nadal, Djokovic and Murray, but few people paid attention to hardworking and modest tennis players like the South. Nothing that we`re talking about a 10-titled player who was number eight in the world in two different seasons and who has quarterfinals in all Grand Slam tournaments. Unfortunately, when you are part of a generation that broke almost all the important sports records, these achieveme nts remain in the background.
Youzhny will certainly remain in the memory of the keen adherents of the game. On first place - because of its great longevity. How often you can meet a tennis player who played against Sampras and Agassi, later against Federer, Nadal and Roddick, and nowadays also against youngsters like Alexander Zverev. The German was 2 years old when Misha started his professional career!
South has a prestigious total of 7 wins against the big trio Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. Most pride he can be with his balance against Rafa - despite the cashed 13 losses, the Colonel recorded some impressive successes in his rivalry with Matador. I will never forget their meeting at the US Open 2006 and the unique set-up of the third set. Then there was also the best chance in the Russian for a Grand Slam tournament final;winning over Nadal, he also grabbed the first set against Andy Roddick in the semifinals. The reborn Andy coach Jimmy Connors turned around and won the 3:1 match.
The other victories of Youzhny over the Rafa are also memorable - both successes in Dubai and, of course, the crash of the Chennai final when Misha gave only one game mentioned by sport livescore to his famous opponent. This is also the worst loss in the Spaniard`s career.
But he never managed to defeat Federer. I remember an interview in Roland Garros` limousine when the Russian said it was one of the few remaining dreams for him in tennis -;to overcome at least once above perhaps the greatest. Unfortunately, this did not happen, or maybe the closest was their last 17th clash when he led with 2-1 sets of his favorite US Open, but the end again was the same as the previous 16 times.
When it comes to his rivalry with Federer, Misha has had to suffer many heavy defeats too. During such a Maestro lecture in the Wimbl edon Quarterfinals, South felt so helpless that he turned to Andre Agassi at the Royal Lodge: 'What should I do? Tell me, what more should I do? Even this action shows that Misha was a special image. How many of the modern players would ironize in this way themselves at such a time?'
Many would remember Youzhny with his eccentric temper.
