Michael Russell (tennis)
Michael Russell (May 2011)
|
|
| Full name | Michael Craig Russell |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |
 United States
|
| Residence | Houston, Texas |
| Born |
May 1, 1978 Detroit, Michigan |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
| Turned pro | 1998 |
| Retired | 2015 |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | $2,352,870 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 76–148 |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 60 (August 13, 2007) |
| Grand Slam Singles results | |
| Australian Open | 2R (2008, 2011) |
| French Open | 4R (2001) |
| Wimbledon | 2R (2010, 2012) |
| US Open | 1R (1998, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 23–51 |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 164 (June 11, 2012) |
| Grand Slam Doubles results | |
| Australian Open | 1R (2010) |
| French Open | 1R (2007, 2010, 2011, 2012) |
| Wimbledon | 2R (2011) |
| US Open | 3R (2015) |
Michael Craig Russell (born May 1, 1978) is a retired American professional tennis player. He reached a career-high singles ranking of World No. 60 in August 2007. His 23 United States Tennis Association (USTA) Pro Circuit singles titles were the all-time record, as of November 2013. That month he became the third-highest-ranked American in the world.
In 1994 Russell was ranked No. 1 in both singles and doubles in the USTA Boys' 16 rankings, and in 1996 he was ranked No. 1 in singles in the U.S. Boys' 18-Under. Playing for the University of Miami in 1996–97, he was named National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Rookie of the Year, before he turned pro in 1997. A high school valedictorian, Russell is one of the few current Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) players who have a college degree, having earned a B.S. from the University of Phoenix with a 3.94 grade point average.
Russell has struggled with knee injuries for much of his professional career. He is perhaps best known for, on two occasions, holding surprise two-set leads in Grand Slam tournaments against former Grand Slam champions, before eventually being defeated both times. In the fourth round of the 2001 French Open (his best run at a Grand Slam) against defending and eventual champion Gustavo Kuerten (the world's # 1-ranked player), Russell led two-sets-to love and 5–3 in the third set, and held a match point, but was defeated in five sets. In the 2007 Australian Open, he held a two-sets-to-love lead over former U.S. Open and Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt, before succumbing in five sets. Other career highlights include a fourth-round showing at the 2007 Indian Wells Masters event, a semi-final appearance at the 2012 U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships, and wins against top-10 players Mardy Fish and Tomas Berdych.
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