Donald Young

Drew Capdeville in Round 1 of Newport.

The draw is sitting on a plate for Don to eat. A SF is very, very open for him to take. I'll be disappointed if he doesn't at least make the QF. A great chance once again to make a mark in an ATP event. Hopefully he takes advantage this time.

The draw is sitting on a plate for Don to eat. A SF is very, very open for him to take. I'll be disappointed if he doesn't at least make the QF. A great chance once again to make a mark in an ATP event. Hopefully he takes advantage this time.

You think he matches up well against Kamke?

Kamke isn't a grass player. Also, this is a quick court. Kamke is a ballbasher, not a great match-up for Don, but on this slick and low bouncing court, Kamke is bound to make tons of errors. I wouldn't be surprised to see Kamke lose his R1 match.

The Don just put a beatdown on Capdeville, 2 & 1. Lets see who he plays next. A couple more wins and he can skip Aptos and still get MD at the Open.

Come on Donald, you have to do better

Ha. He continues to blow some of these easier draws. But grass just didn't seem to be his thing. Hopefully the hardcourt summer goes well. Make a few quarters at least.

suck...... can't expect this kind of resulte

He should do much better than this

Well he's in Aptos this coming week. Surprised his ranking is up to 104 at the end of this week. Defending points, but make the finals and or win probably back in the top 100.

Well he's in Aptos this coming week. Surprised his ranking is up to 104 at the end of this week. Defending points, but make the finals and or win probably back in the top 100.

I think that live rankings site is wrong. From my calculations he should have 508 pts, not 500. That should move him up a couple of spots.

Bogdanovic beats him 7-6(7) 6-2 1r of aptos

Don was 5-3 in the first set and had set point on serve in the tiebreak. Another unfortunate loss and you can see his mental demons are starting to come back with these losses from winning positions. Every single time he's gotten close to the top 100 or barely inside it, these last few years, he's had bad results almost immediately.

These recent results have also come almost immediately after his fight with the USTA, then he hurt his wrist and missed about a month. It's unfortunate, not able to build on the great start he had this year.

The positive for Donald is after next week in Atlanta, he defends extremely little for the rest of the season. This is as good of an opportunity as he's ever had to finish in the top 100. The negative is that he'll probably have to qualify for the USO, but we know he's good in slam qualies.

Hopefully he bounces back next week in his home event.

Sucks. But awww well. He needs to grind big time this summer.

He needs a new coach. Hope he realizes that now.

He needs a new coach. Hope he realizes that now.

He should've realized that at 19. But oh well.

Donald got a WC into Atlanta and plays Russell in R1. The winner plays #2 seed Anderson in the second round.

Russell will make Donald hit a lot of balls, grind and Donald will have to be focused to win this match.

He has a 50% chance of beating Russell. He has a 1% chance of beating Anderson.

Also, did you notice he's playing doubles with Harrison? I did not expect that to happen.

He has a 50% chance of beating Russell. He has a 1% chance of beating Anderson.

Also, did you notice he's playing doubles with Harrison? I did not expect that to happen.

I'd give him more than a 50% chance to beat Russell. They're 2-2 in the h2h but Don beat him last time they played and Russell's last win was a ret., not to mention the approx 10 yr age difference. I'd put DY as the favorite against Russell.

I'd also give DY a shot against Anderson. DY is 3-5 against Anderson, with Anderson winning the last 5, but pretty much all of their matches have been close, 3 sets, or 2 close sets.

At some pt he's gonna have to capitalize on one of these draws he's been getting and get to a semi or final.

Young got bageled first set. Not very good start.

Young got bageled first set. Not very good start.

End wasnt any better. I'd say he's in a slump, lost 1st rd at Aptos, now here. It shouldnt be a matter of confidence cause he's been getting wins lately.

Obviously, his season is going downhill and has been since the argument with McEnroe and the USTA. His pre and post argument results tell the tale. And he's slumping at virtually the same exact time he did last season, during the USO series, the absolute worst time to do so.

Today he didn't really put a performance on the court, but he also wasn't 100% fit. Hopefully he'll take a few days off, be recharged and will be ready for LA qualies.

I missed the medical timeout, what was he getting treatment on? The good thing is he only has about 50 points to defend for the rest of the year. He just needs to get back to training with Berger in Boca. The USTA situation happened at a bad time for him but he needs to get back on track.

He has a 50% chance of beating Russell. He has a 1% chance of beating Anderson.

I seem to have overestimated his chances. I'll wait for his next match. If he plays LA qualifying, I may even go see the match.

If he plays LA qualifying, I may even go see the match.

I actually did go to see the first round of qualifying at UCLA on Saturday, which by the way was DY's 22nd birthday. Happy belated birthday to him.

Anyway, I knew that he wasn't entered from checking online the night before. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed watching players like Kosakowski, Kudla, Smyczek, and Giron. Congrats to Kosakowski for making the main draw!

He plays Artem Sitak in Round 1 of Washington. Saw a picture of him using a Prince racquet, here's the link. http://yfrog.com/khvx9hecj

I seem to have overestimated his chances. I'll wait for his next match. If he plays LA qualifying, I may even go see the match.

DY drew qualifier Sitak in R1 of Washington. He has a 60% chance of beating him. Good thing he didn't draw Matosevic.

If he gets to R2, he plays Meltzer. He has a 2% chance of beating him. Meltzer seems to play a similar game as Young, just way better.

I swear if Young does not beat Sitak I will kick a puppy.

It's the best possible qualifier he could have gotten, so a win is required. Melzer is beatable, but first things first, he needs to win his R1 match.

It's the best possible qualifier he could have gotten, so a win is required. Melzer is beatable, but first things first, he needs to win his R1 match.

Agreed, Melzer does not have alot of confidence right now which is a boost. (Plus Young usually plays well against other ball-bashers)

Young flips the script and bagels Sitak!

I swear if Young does not beat Sitak I will kick a puppy.

Whew! We can let the puppy out now.

Luckily no puppies will be kicked, as Don won 6-0 6-3, and only lost 3 service points. Great stats, but a mediocre opponent. In any case, a great win for Donald. Had several chances to break in set two and didn't take them but kept his level up and broke at 4-3.

Now he plays Melzer, and at least he can go into that match with confidence and something positive under his belt.

DY drew qualifier Sitak in R1 of Washington. He has a 60% chance of beating him. Good thing he didn't draw Matosevic.

If he gets to R2, he plays Meltzer. He has a 2% chance of beating him. Meltzer seems to play a similar game as Young, just way better.

Nice win over Sitak. I'm so optimistic now I'll raise DY's chances of beating Melzer from 2% to 10%. If DY wins, I'll kiss a big slobbering dog.

Young please don't blow this set.

He lost 7-6 (6)come on Young fight!

Sucks it rained while Donald could go up another break in the 3rd.

Melzer wound up retiring in the 3rd set, it seems it happened during the rain delay. Weird.

I'm expecting DY to reverse the last result against Russell in the next match. Great opportunity for pts & prize money for both guys.

Right now they're both guaranteed 14K and 45 pts, winner will get 27K & 90 pts.

Good win against melzer. Choked bad in set 1 but won in the end. He needs to beat Russell.

Yes, he needs to break through here. I'm tired of Harrison and a few other young Americans breaking through at these events and not Don. He needs to take it to Russell.

yes, another great chance..

Young wins the first set 6-3. Alright he has Russell scared in the corner now he just needs to violate him.

:bounce:

And breaks to open the 2nd. Please don't blow this grand opportunity.

And he gets broken at love :( I think he's gonna win this set though.

Lmao

Is there any stream for this?

The QF's and after will be on ESPN 3 but for this round no.

Ok cool. Hopefully I can catch his QF tomorrow.

And Young wins 6-3 6-3! Russel got broken at love at the end!

Yay he won! LoL

This is the most fun I've had following a tournament in a long time. GL against Baghdatis.

Go Young.... your last chance

Up to 101 in the rankings with the QF points. I think it's funny that if he somehow won the tournament he would jump up to like 48 in the world. HA HA. We can dream right.

Must say I'm shocked Young won this first set 6-3. Baggy maybe being tired helps too :) Come on 1 more set!

Wow, Young is playing very well. Hope he can keep it up.

6-3 7-6

Final couple of points were so beautiful....that means if Donald plays with confidence that would be a lot diff.

but He needs to improve backhand....

come on Now. His first ATP 500 semi

Good job! He has a good chance against Stepanek, hope he pulls out the win. Good tournament for him already though.

Donald Young is redefining the forehand.

That Stepanek match never happened.

Cincy going to give him a WILDCARD?

Good week. He still has a long way to go on that 2nd serve and the backhand is just too weak. He can hit it when forced to.

Cincy going to give him a WILDCARD?

Good week. He still has a long way to go on that 2nd serve and the backhand is just too weak. He can hit it when forced to.

He prob will cuz of Washington. I think he should work on his forehand approach cus he was dumping some easy ones into the net.

He plays Michael Berrer in Round 1 of Winston-Salem.

DY has a 50% chance of beating Berrer. If he does beat Berrer, he has a 25% chance of beating Dmitrov.

I like his chances against Dimitrov if he does beat Berrer because Dimitrov has never beaten Young before so there is a mental block.

Nice job, DY. Keep going against Dimitrov.

DY has a 50% chance of beating Berrer. If he does beat Berrer, he has a 25% chance of beating Dmitrov.

I like his chances against Dimitrov if he does beat Berrer because Dimitrov has never beaten Young before so there is a mental block.

As far as I know, they've only played once so I wouldnt read too much into their H2H. But, Dimitrov has a one hander, and if Baghdatis had trouble with DYs forehand to his backhand, Id expect the same problems with Dimitrov.

I'd say he has more of a 40% chance. Its a match he certainly will have a chance, unless Grigor is firing on all cylinders. He defended his points from last year but it would be nice if he can build on it.

I'd say he has more of a 40% chance.

OK, I'll go with 40%. I'm feeling more optimistic too.

He lost 4-6, 6-2, 6-7(2). Played an awful breaker. Stats were similar for him in 1st and 3rd sets.

He got slotted against a Qualifier in Round 1 of the US Open. Big chance for 45 points. Only a few qualifiers I can see beating him. If he can get to the next round it would most likely end for him. He'd play Wawrinka most likely.

Well not a bad draw to randomly go anywhere. Definitely needs to pick up those 1st round points. Wawrinka has not been playing great so if he was going to draw a top seed that wasn't a horrible one imo.

Wawrinka lost to Golubev last week who is 5-23 for the year. So... I could see some potential for some breakout rounds for Don if he can keep his head together.

Tough loss to Dimitrov this week. DY had his chances; at least he battled.

Good break to draw a qualifier in R1 of USO. We'll have to see who it turns out to be. I'm really hoping for a Young/Matosevic showdown in R3. I know, I know, there's a 0.00001% chance of that happening.

Tough loss to Dimitrov this week. DY had his chances; at least he battled.

Good break to draw a qualifier in R1 of USO. We'll have to see who it turns out to be. I'm really hoping for a Young/Matosevic showdown in R3. I know, I know, there's a 0.00001% chance of that happening.


Don is Matosevic's b!tch so I wouldn't want to see that clash. Ha Ha.

He drew Lacko. Tough matchup IMO.

Lucas Lacko, lucky loser. I think (hope) he's not that lucky, because DY has a 65% chance of beating LL.

Time to assess DY's prospects against Wawrinka. He has a 33% chance of beating the veteran Swiss.

Well he did it! Was worried when I checked out the match in the 2nd set and he looked like he was a little bit tired and then started gabbing to his box about the fh, bh, serve, strings. He seems to recover from these lapses quicker, though. Pure heart coming back in the 5th set.

Good job by Donald to beat Chela. No matter what happens in the next round it has been a successful tournament for him.

Good job by Donald to beat Chela. No matter what happens in the next round it has been a successful tournament for him.

More than successful!! Career best showing at his home slam, cracking the top 60 at least in the process, maybe more. Finally fulfilling some of the promise he's shown.

Bye bye Challengers!!

For the next yr at least.

next one is huge for Donald. If he wants to prove some at age 22 that's best chance to beat Andy Murray at home.

must make Crowd work for it.

First second week for Donald in seven years, please focus on it. Now confidence is in highest level... DOn't let momentum gone. Right here right now make it to QF. Otherwise you maynot get this kind of chance again.

win or go home...

so far, we haven't seem him beat a guy like Andy, Rafa, Roger or Nole... Which means he still not enough.

next one is huge for Donald. If he wants to prove some at age 22 that's best chance to beat Andy Murray at home.

must make Crowd work for it.

First second week for Donald in seven years, please focus on it. Now confidence is in highest level... DOn't let momentum gone. Right here right now make it to QF. Otherwise you maynot get this kind of chance again.

win or go home...

so far, we haven't seem him beat a guy like Andy, Rafa, Roger or Nole... Which means he still not enough.

He beat Murray at Indian Wells.

He beat Murray at Indian Wells.

that was not the real Murray.

that was not the real Murray.

If he beats him tomorrow, will you say the same thing?

If he beats him tomorrow, will you say the same thing?

absolutely not.

I would be more than happy to see it happen. but he just not enough to do it at this time

Donald seems realistic about this match. In any case I am hoping he produces a surprise but would be happy if he doesn't get blown off the court.

too bad he just can't maintain his level

Well at least he lost against #4 in the world. It would be more disappointing if he blew a winnable match, odds were very low of pulling up that upset even if he played well. Up to #57 in the world. Looking forward to how he does in Asia/Europe this fall.

Well at least he lost against #4 in the world. It would be more disappointing if he blew a winnable match, odds were very low of pulling up that upset even if he played well. Up to #57 in the world. Looking forward to how he does in Asia/Europe this fall.

Yes, Agree anyway this is his best year

hope he keep going

Good tournament at US Open this year. Took advantage of winnable matches. Hopefully he can build on his good summer this fall. Plays andreev in Bangkok. Not a must win but would help build his confidence, not to mention semis is very possible.

Won a back and forth 1st set. Wonder how the rest of this will play out.

Young won on retirement after he was up a break in the 2nd. Nice win even if he shouldn't have won, he stayed in the set mentally and it paid off. GGL is next. Tough match but he should have his chances.

Good to see him compound on his US Open run. These are good courts for his game

Take out GGL

He finally did it!

http://www.tennisworldusa.org/ATP---Coaching-updates-on-Donald-Young-and-Jack-Sock-articolo1559.html

He finally did it!

http://www.tennisworldusa.org/ATP---Coaching-updates-on-Donald-Young-and-Jack-Sock-articolo1559.html

Yes - very good news.

DY just took out Garcia-Lopez 7-5 in the 3rd, on his 3rd match point, after losing the 2nd set tiebreak 7-0. Great way to follow up the US Open. He plays the winner of Kamke-Soeda in the qtrs, definitely a winnable match whoever the opponent is. 2-3 good weeks to end the year, and a few good weeks at the start of next yr and he could be MD at the MS tourneys as well.

ALl I can said to DOnald, Is ... KEEP GOING

He finally did it!

http://www.tennisworldusa.org/ATP---Coaching-updates-on-Donald-Young-and-Jack-Sock-articolo1559.html

Is this only for Asia, or are is this full-time? Because he has worked with USTA coaches before, just to go back to his parents. :shrugs:

He beat Soeda 6-1, 6-2. Up next will be either Niemenen or Monfils. Good week no matter what happens in semis. He has taken advantage of the courts in Thailand, hopefully he can go all the way.

Hopefully he beats Monfils. So is Donald out of the picture for China Open or Toyko next week? I don't think he's made the main draw cut and he can't do qualies now.

Hopefully he beats Monfils. So is Donald out of the picture for China Open or Toyko next week? I don't think he's made the main draw cut and he can't do qualies now.

Unless he gets a wild card.

no wildcards for Don. Will he be in the qualies of Shanghai?

no wildcards for Don. Will he be in the qualies of Shanghai?

He should get a WC...

come on now...

Congrats on your first ATP final Don :hug: :hug: All the best for tomorrow. :D

He should get a WC...

come on now...

Well, he got doubles WC in Tokyo. So that means he will be in Shanghai.

Hopefully he plays all the events in Europe after the Asian swing ends next week. He can definitely rack up on the points.

Hope to see Donald in Top 30 by end of this year..........

Come on NOW........ Wait for 7 years, Finally.. YES YES YES YES YES

Donald Young top seed in qualies.

Defeated Yani 7-6(2), 6-4.

The Don beat Zverev 6-3, 6-4. He drew Mao-Xin Gong in the first round. Could'nt have got an easier matchup. If he wins (which he should) he will play Wawrinka or Monaco.

Expect him to win his first round then hopefully upset Wawrinka again. Would be nice if Murray is a little exhausted after 3 weeks.

Donald Young deserves his own section.

DY just took out the Chinese WC. The win means he cracks the top 40. If he wins his next match he'll be around 35ish. If he gets a few more wins to close out the year he could definitely be a seed for next yrs Aussie Open. Didnt really think that was a possibility even after the US Open run but he's backing up his results nicely now.

Come on NOW, DONALD
go go go

If he plays about 3-4 European events this fall I definitely see him making top 32.

Will Shanghai be Donald's last event for this year?
He pulled out of St Petersburg.

He had already pulled out of both Stockholm and Moscow (wk of 10/17). So yeah, I was surprised he pulled out of St. Petersburg (wk of 10/24) when he was already in the main draw. My guess is he did not want to be on the road for seven straight weeks, so he wanted to take two weeks off. Hopefully, he goes home, recharges, returns to Basel (wk of 10/31) and Paris (wk of 11/7), then calls it a year.

Oh wow. What is he thinking? He definitely should have played all those weeks to get his ranking in the 30s. I don't see but 2nd round or maybe 3rd round at best for Basel and Paris those will be deep fields. Thats if he even shows up.

I would have grinded out the end of the year. Those fields in Russia were weaker fields that he could have went real deep or maybe even broke out and won.

Anyone have more ofhese kickboxing pix??

http://www.menstennisforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=249469&stc=1&d=1318440348

^ Lol where was this from Shanghai?

Really wish Don went to Moscow. That field is very weak!

come on Donald, It's time to make Top 30

that wouldbe even sweet to finish Top 30 first time

Hope he make it

What's next for Donald Young

I guess he got a WC to Basel

I guess he got a WC to Basel

I hope he get it

Donald Young is changing the world one stroke at a time.

come on don
basel needs ya ;)

Friend of mine said Petra Kvitova of WTA is Donald's female version. They are playing same tennis he says :lol:

Friend of mine said Petra Kvitova of WTA is Donald's female version. They are playing same tennis he says :lol:

I saw that comment on youtube.

Donald please make it into TOp 20 after AO

come on now

you should make it at least TOp ten next season

Donald please make it into TOp 20 after AO

come on now

you should make it at least TOp ten next season

In order to do that he would need to win a warm up tourney and get to the Semis of the Aussie.

Worry about him getting a slam seed in 2012 First. Then end the year in the top 20

Donald just can't seem to keep it together. He has times when he plays really well, but other times... :rolleyes:

He will end the year at 39 in the rankings. He doesn't have hardly any points to defend until March so he will need a good start in 2012 to build on his rank.

I hope he gets that good start :) American tennis really needs a lift from someone!

And now, after his amazing Asian Fall swing, he has gave up his coaching with the USTA, and went back to being coached by his Mom. :confused:

Horrible horrible move if you ask me!! Lets count the time until he asks for help from the USTA again!?? ugghhh.....

And now, after his amazing Asian Fall swing, he has gave up his coaching with the USTA, and went back to being coached by his Mom. :confused:

Horrible horrible move if you ask me!! Lets count the time until he asks for help from the USTA again!?? ugghhh.....

I definitely agree with you here that it's a bad move developmentally speaking. But, the more I thought about it, the more I think it has less to do with tennis, and maybe more to do with finances.

As of the end of this yr, he still didn't have a racket sponsor, and he's no longer under contract with Nike, so that's what I think was the reason for the split. A full time coach is gonna be separate room & board on the road, plus travel expenses, plus probably a base salary & a % of winnings, along with maybe bonuses for certain milestones reached.

I opened a thread to request a sub-forum for him. I need all his supporters to click yes so it happens. Here's a link straight to the page. (http://www.menstennisforums.com/showthread.php?p=11453831#post11453831)

I opened a thread to request a sub-forum for him. I need all his supporters to click yes so it happens. Here's a link straight to the page. (http://www.menstennisforums.com/showthread.php?p=11453831#post11453831)

Good idea putting that link in here! I have voted Yes already. And I hated to hear he was going back to his mother for a Coach, however, I was even sorrier to hear that he doesn't have the necessary sponsors :sad: I hope he doesn't end up in a revolving door where his tennis slips back making it even harder for him to get the needed sponsors so he can again hire a coach! Poor Donald he could really end up in a lose-lose situation :sad: :sad:

I definitely agree with you here that it's a bad move developmentally speaking. But, the more I thought about it, the more I think it has less to do with tennis, and maybe more to do with finances.

As of the end of this yr, he still didn't have a racket sponsor, and he's no longer under contract with Nike, so that's what I think was the reason for the split. A full time coach is gonna be separate room & board on the road, plus travel expenses, plus probably a base salary & a % of winnings, along with maybe bonuses for certain milestones reached.

Just read that the reason DY went back to being coached by his Mom is b/c the USTA asked him to come down to the Boca or Carson training ctrs w/o his mom, & he refused, once again.

Really stubborn. I think it's a bad move on his parents part also. They should be encouraging him to be independent. If things dont work out he can always go back to his Mom as coach. A couple of weeks in the off season w/o his Mom isnt gonna kill him.

Just read that the reason DY went back to being coached by his Mom is b/c the USTA asked him to come down to the Boca or Carson training ctrs w/o his mom, & he refused, once again.

Really stubborn. I think it's a bad move on his parents part also. They should be encouraging him to be independent. If things dont work out he can always go back to his Mom as coach. A couple of weeks in the off season w/o his Mom isnt gonna kill him.

Gee really stubborn and I hate to say it, but all of this makes him sound like a real mama's boy :tape: :ignore:

Saw an article with him using a dunlop biomemetic racquet. Did he switch racquets from his exo3?

Donald young:hearts: i hope you do amazing once more in 2012

DY plays Falla in round 1 in Auckland.

DY went down in 3 sets to Falla, bad loss. His 2nd rd opponent would have been a clay courter, Montanes or Starace.

:sobbing: :sad: :crying2:

Yes, a disappointing start to the season. This worries me a bit. I wonder how he trained during the off season.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1023211-australian-open-2012-draw-breaking-down-the-seeding-and-brackets

Above link includes a prediction that DY will beat Ljubicic in the 2nd round. I hope so.

DY pulled out his 1st rd match in 5 sets, after winning the 1st two sets comfortably. I was a little worried he would blow the 2 set lead but he won the 5th set 6-2.

So it is true. DY and the USTA just can't seem to get on the same page. His mother is going to be on "tour" with him in some sort of coaching capacity until she is ready not to be. This should be a non-issue at this point really.

Nice win for Donald.

Looks like Young's next tournament will be the SAP Open. Unless he plays Davis Cup, not sure how likely that will be. Although Roddick and Bob Bryan will be out. I hope he makes the team this tie.

His section of the draw.

(7) Donald Young USA - Michael Russell USA
Denis Istomin UZB - (WC) Sam Querrey USA
(WC) Jack Sock USA - Qualifier
(2) Andy Roddick USA - Bye

(7) Donald Young USA - Michael Russell USA


Let's see...They have are 3-3 in H2H's. They split last summer. DY is off to a slow start this year. Russell is the ultimate battler. But DY should win. I say DY has a 60% chance of winning.

Not the best 1st round matchup for Donald. Lot of Americans in that quarter of the draw.

Donald will play Dimitrov in the first round of Memphis.

Tough matchup, especially in the form he has been in lately. Lets see what happens.

Agreed, he has not played well lately.

Like others, I've been following DY since his teenage years. He's certainly taken us on a maddening journey. However, his meteoric results last summer and fall were quite enjoyable. His yearend ranking of #39 was stunning. Had he finally turned the corner?

So far in 2012, he's gone backward. (As Bud Collins once described DY, he's played like doo doo.) He is 1-3, with losses to Falla (#80 at the time), Lacko (#119), and Russell (#104). His only win was against Gojowczyk (#248). So he is not playing like someone ranked #40. He is playing like someone ranked #140, maybe even #240.

I like to assess his chances of winning each match. Right now, it is hard to be optimistic for this next match. I think he has only a 20% of beating Dimitrov. On the plus side, he is (surprisingly) 2-0 H2H against Dimitrov. And Dimitrov hasn't set the world on fire lately either.

Like others, I've been following DY since his teenage years. He's certainly taken us on a maddening journey. However, his meteoric results last summer and fall were quite enjoyable. His yearend ranking of #39 was stunning. Had he finally turned the corner?

So far in 2012, he's gone backward. (As Bud Collins once described DY, he's played like doo doo.) He is 1-3, with losses to Falla (#80 at the time), Lacko (#119), and Russell (#104). His only win was against Gojowczyk (#248). So he is not playing like someone ranked #40. He is playing like someone ranked #140, maybe even #240.

I like to assess his chances of winning each match. Right now, it is hard to be optimistic for this next match. I think he has only a 20% of beating Dimitrov. On the plus side, he is (surprisingly) 2-0 H2H against Dimitrov. And Dimitrov hasn't set the world on fire lately either.

Dimitrov is 1-0 against him, 1-1 if you include a Challenger Young won against him in Honolulu. He needs to stay with 1 racquet and not be changing after every tournament. Despite his terrible start he can still rise up the rankings if he can get it together.

You're right, Coasterman, about the H2H. All the more reason I think DY has only a 20% chance of beating Dimitrov.

Young won 7-6(4), 4-6, 7-6(6)! According to a Brad Gilbert tweet Donald was using his old racquet. Assuming Brad means the Prince Exo3 Tour. Hope he sticks with it this time, but who knows with him. Big win as he needed the points and now he will play Isner or Muller. Either matchup would be tough especially John but it'll be a match he can get some experience off of.

Donald looked awful in the first set against Russell - inconsistent, mis-hits off the racket frame, unforced errors, tentative. He looked more like the Donald who was ranked in the 200's, not in the 40's. He knuckled down in the second set but let Russell back in the set, and lost the big points. Too many shallow, loopy forehands on big points. Hopefully grinding out a close win over Dimitrov turns the tide again.

Good to see DY win against Dimitrov, although most accounts have it being a sloppy match where no one seized control. Still a win is a win.

It's hard to see DY being competitive against Isner. Big John is playing super, and besides DY has always had trouble against big, hard-hitting players (Isner, Kevin Anderson, etc.) I think DY has at most a 10% chance of winning. I hope he's working on a good game plan to maximize his chances.

If I were Donald's coach preparing him for this match, I would tell him "Son, you're playing someone who just beat Federer on clay, so you might as well try something different since he's the favorite anyway:
1) More 120+ mph serves to the body, or slice to Isner's backhand, and follow them to the net. Russell had problems handling Donald's close serves, but for some reason Donald did it only once or twice a set and didn't follow them to the net.
2) Drill Isner's backhand whenever possible. His forehand is becoming lethal, and the heavy loopy topspin won't bother someone who's seems 8 feet tall.
3) Come to the net more."
Monday morning quarterbacking is always easier said then done, but if he's not the favorite, he might as well revamp his approach to the game and try out all of his weapons. Dumping in 115 mph serves and waiting for Isner to make mistakes won't work.

Only thing that will keep him in it is if he can dictate forehand to Isner's backhand rallies. Isner will have a lot of easy holds but DY will need to stay mentally strong and "Hope" he can sneak a return game on John. Main thing is to hold serve and maybe get it in tiebreaks. Very tough task and I would like to see him do it, just not sure he has the game to do it against the tall guys like John.

Isner won 7-6(3), 6-4. Thought Young played well based on the stats, was in more Isner serve games then I would've thought. Only capitalized on 1 and then got broken right back. Biggest lapse he had during the match. Other than that I thought he gave himself a good shot, but just too much from Isner. Good sign from Young though moving forward he knows he can play decent against tall guys where as before he was getting taken to the woodshed by them. Lets see what kind of draw he gets at Delray Beach, and what he's able to do with it.

Sounds like a close match that came down to a few breaks. Not much margin of error if your opponent serves 22 aces. Looks like he went deep in points on a number of Isner's service games, so he must have stepped it up. He's not defending a lot of points from this stretch last year so he still has a chance to pick up some ground.

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2012/02/23/isner-and-querrey-advance-to-quarters-at-memphis/

Isner reports that he struggled early on and he was out of position on every shot. Perhaps DY executed a game plan that disrupted his rhythm. At any rate, DY kept it competitive. This gives me more hope for next week and beyond.

Tough draw in Delray he plays Sweeting in Round 1, then if he were to get past Ryan he would most likely play Isner again.

He plays tomorrow no sooner than 2:30PM.

I would favor DY in this match. I think he has a 60% chance of beating Sweeting. It's interesting that they've only played three times, despite covering the same Challenger events up to less than a year ago.

Sweeting needs the win more than DY. He has a ton of points dropping off soon, and unless he wins a lot of matches now, he is poised to take a mighty tumble out of the top 100.

I would say its more 50-50. This is the kind of match Young needs to pull out the W. Sweeting beat him pretty good in their last match although Donald's form at the time was pretty low. Hopefully he sticks to the Prince frames and doesn't have some different one this tournament. One thing is for sure it'll be a nerve-racking match to watch if you cheer him.

Whoa, Sweeting utterly destroyed DY. I didn't expect that. DY is back to playing like #240. I think he has only a 5% chance of winning his next match at Indian Wells, no matter who he plays.

He needs an intervention, but I don't think the USTA will give him one now even if he begs.

That was some ass whooping there. Didn't expect a win, but thought that he would do better.

Figured it was a bad matchup for him, but definitely expected it to be closer. He needs to get things going and quick.

So DY is playing Indian Wells next week, where (hope I'm wrong but) I predict he will lose Round 1 in maddening fashion. He then plays Miami. But...for the next tournament, he has NOT entered Houston. He has entered Casablanca!

Of all the tennis tournaments, in all the towns, in all the world, he walks into that one. He is the only American entered. At least he won't lose to the usual suspects like Russell and Sweeting. Casablanca - play it once, play it again.

Ben Rothenberg ‏ @BenRothenberg

Alexandr Dolgopolov gets Young-Darcis winner, then Feliciano Lopez, then possibly Nadal. #bnppo12



GL Donald!

Very winnable match, one he needs to win. Dolgopolov will be a tougher task. 1st he has to beat Steve though.

He better beat Darcis

On an outdoor hardcourt, in California where Don has had some of his best runs, it's a must-win match. Gotta take advantage. Dolgo isn't out of the question for a win either but one match at a time.

DY is back to playing like #240. I think he has only a 5% chance of winning his next match at Indian Wells, no matter who he plays.

Unfortunately, I have to stick with this statement. DY has played horribly this year. Darcis has played decently, with several good wins and hardly any bad losses.

On the other positive side, IW last year was DY's top result to that point. Maybe he'll feel the vibe and recapture his mojo.

[12] Nicolas Almagro (ESP) bye
Qualifier - Donald Young (USA)
Qualifier - Carlos Berlocq (ARG)
[20] Fernando Verdasco (ESP) bye

[28] Kevin Anderson (RSA) bye
Sam Querrey (USA) - Matthew Ebden (AUS)
Qualifier - Jeremy Chardy (FRA)
[8] Mardy Fish (USA) bye

DY plays qualifier David Goffin. Goffin has moved steadily upwards throughout his career and is now at a career high. His 2012 record for ATP events is 3-2, better than DY's 2-6. He easily defeated two higher ranked opponents to qualify for this tournament. I hope DY regains his form but until I see evidence of this, I favor Goffin in this match. DY has a 40% chance of winning.

Right you are, Goffin wins, 7-5, 6-4. Donald is really not giving anyone a reason to root for him right now.

Don needs to get back with Mike Sells and the USTA.... He'll be back in the 100s at this rate.

Been a very disappointing start to the season in 2012 for Donald, very reminiscent of his start in 2008, when he got up to around the top 70 after a great run of form at the end of 2007 in challengers, but fell back because he couldn't cut it at the ATP level. I thought things had changed, but apparently not. And with the US HC season over, Donald is going to have it tough now as the next months he'll be playing on surfaces less favorable for him, clay and grass.

Luckily for Donald, his two wins have come at the AO and Memphis. So he's earned over 100 points this season with winning only two matches. The problem now, however, is Donald is mostly defending points from last season at this point. He lost R3 points from Indian Wells, he lost qualifying points from Miami. He will lose 80 points from Tallahassee in a couple weeks, and defends 48 points in Savannah in about a month's time, yet will be playing on red clay in Europe during this period. It appears very likely Donald will lose his top 50 spot in the very near future. What's most important is that Donald can gain enough points through the spring to minimize the pressure he will have of defending the points he gained from the US Open series onward. Hopefully he can surprise and pick up some wins on the clay.

His next scheduled tournament is Casablanca in a couple weeks. He'll be a top four seed there so hopefully the draw works out to his advantage and he can win some matches.

So DY is playing Indian Wells next week, where (hope I'm wrong but) I predict he will lose Round 1 in maddening fashion. He then plays Miami. But...for the next tournament, he has NOT entered Houston. He has entered Casablanca!

Of all the tennis tournaments, in all the towns, in all the world, he walks into that one. He is the only American entered. At least he won't lose to the usual suspects like Russell and Sweeting. Casablanca - play it once, play it again.

It's on to Casablanca! Wake up, Donald!

Donald's poor start might have cost him a spot on the DC team after Fish dropped out. Donald is ranked higher than Harrison but Harrison has had much better results this year. Harrison had a much better chance against Simon and Tsonga than Donald at this point. I'm sure DY's clash with the USTA didn't help either. Better step it up, or it's back to challengers and qualies!

Donald draws Benoit Paire in the first round.

Lost 64 67(5) 26. Had plenty of chances in the 2nd set. Both players had a hard time holding serve, double faulting on break points often.

In 1999, Vince Spadea had a breakthrough year and reached a ranking of around #20. The very next year, he did a complete faceplant which included a record 21 consecutive losses. Donald Young's 2011/2012 reminds me of Vince Spadea.

The good news is that although Spadea fell precipitously in the rankings (to somewhere in the 200's), he doggedly persisted and eventually made it all the way back! There's still hope for Donald!

I can't see things changing unless he changes his approach and gets new coaches. He had a golden opportunity to make a move with a top-40 ranking and a friendly U.S. hardcourt season and did nothing with it.

Donald plays PHM in the first round of Monte Carlo: Draw (http://www.atpworldtour.com/Share/Event-Draws.aspx?EventId=410&Year=2012)

Vince Spadea's 21-match losing streak, which lasted from October 1999 to June 2000, is not in jeopardy yet. Heck, DY's current streak is only 6 matches. It is not even his personal record (11 - from his early days on the tour).

DY appears to be playing the Savannah Challenger next week. Whatever happens there will not affect his losing streak, since only ATP-level events count. However, I think it is a fair possibility that he will lose in R1. There are plenty of players entered who can beat him - Sweeting, Russell, Odesnik, Matosevic (especially him), etc. Many of them will be seeded along with DY, so DY will not play them in R1. But even the non-seeds will be ecstatic if they draw DY. I will follow with morbid fascination, especially if he draws a fellow American like Kudla, Levine, Ginepri, or (coming from the qualifiers) Baker, Rhyne Williams, or Kosakowski. We shall see.

So, in barely an hour, DY gets waxed 6-0, 6-1 by Mathieu, who is 1) coming off a major knee injury, 2) has been on the tour so long that DY was 10 years old when turned pro, 3) probably not getting any sleep because he became a father last month, according to the ATP website, 4) has seen his ranking fall to 352, and 5)couldn't avoid being typecast after "The Bad News Bears." Unless DY was injured, I would say this is the beginning of the end for him. Hope he proves me wrong.

All mention of DY has been removed from the tournament website, so I would say he is not playing Savannah. It's just as well, since he would be brutalized by most of the other entrants.

DY should just play challenger events until the French Open. He's just not in any good form right now. I'm really going to hate to see him tumble out of the top 100 if this keeps up.

Plays Troicki in the 1st round of Madrid. Draw: http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2012/1536/mds.pdf

DY's year has been like Spadea 2000 (21-match losing streak, drop in ranking from 20 to 213, overall record of 3-28). Or like Golubev 2011 (18-match losing streak, drop in ranking from 36 to 147, 6-26 overall record).

We can dream otherwise, but there is almost no chance he will win tomorrow. I give him at best a 10% chance of winning.

Well at least he was much more aggressive this week. He had no life in Monte Carlo. I definetely hope he plays the small tournament the week before Roland Garros. Could hopefully get an easy draw and a couple wins. He realistically will lose first round of Rome and the French.

He needs to get some wins soon. Give him some cushion before he has to defend his points later in the season. Gotta hope for cake draws.

[5] David Ferrer vs. Bye
Fernando Verdasco (SPA) vs. Alexander Dolgopolov (UKR)
Pablo Andujar (SPA) vs. Qualifier
Donald Young (USA) vs. [11]Gilles Simon (FRA)
[16]Richard Gasquet (FRA) vs. Jurgen Melzer (AUT)
Nikolay Davidenko (RUS) vs. Paolo Lorenzi (ITA)
David Nalbandian (ARG) vs. Qualifier
[4] Andy Murray (GBR) vs. Bye

I don't see him getting past Simon.

Donald will suffer his 8th straight loss. He has a 1% chance of beating Simon, and that because of the possibility that Simon gets injured and has to retire from the match.

Uncannily accurate prediction from Bearitone315! He lost 6-2 7-5, although he did get a break at the start of the second set when Simon lost concentration.

Watching Donald, I don't get the feeling he has any strategic sense when rallying. It all seems a bit haphazard. And he makes so many unforced errors. He badly needs a proper coach who will sort his brain out. I lost my connection midway through, so perhaps he played better when I couldn't see him.

ATP Nice section

Robin Haase NED [6] vs. Juan Carlos Ferrero ESP [WC]
Q vs. Donald Young USA
Dudi Sela ISR vs. Q
Gilles Simon FRA [2] has a Bye

I hope Brian Baker wins his final qualifying round and draws DY in the MD. That would be most interesting.

He draws Bellucci, looks like his losing streak will continue.

He draws Bellucci, looks like his losing streak will continue.

It is so easy to agree with you, I'm almost willing to be a contrarian and say that DY will finally find his form and win. Almost.

Here's a surprising thing. Belucci is 10-10 in 2012...pretty decent...includes wins over Ferrer, Anderson, and Melzer. Yet his ranking has fallen from 37 to 70. DY is 2-11 in 2012...pretty horrible. Yet his ranking has only fallen from 39 to 50. It all depends on who had points to defend.

Bellucci has beaten people this year whom DY would not stand a chance against now (though DY did beat Melzer last year during his run after he retired while DY was leading). He managed to make things more respectable against Troicki and Simon but I just don't see it happening on clay, against a South American clay courter. I give him a 0% percent chance of winning, though I would raise that somewhat if Bellucci is injured or perhaps abducted by wolves. DY did go on his run last year shortly after losing to 382nd ranked Bogdanovic, but DY had some decent qualifier and challenger runs prior to his big run (plus a win over Murray). Nothing this year presaging a big run.

I would probably skip the Olympics if I was him and go to Washington to defend the points with a depleted field. I'm sure he won't skip the Olympics though. He really needs some points fast before his ranking plummets.

French Open

Alexandr Dolgopolov UKR (16) vs Sergiy Stakhovsky UKR
Filippo Volandri ITA vs Qualy
Donald Young USA vs Grigor DiMitrov BUL
Qualy vs Richard Gasquet FRA (17)

Not this match-up again :o

On the other hand, this might be the last chance he has of being in the Olympics. He just barely missed qualifying 4 years ago, and I don't see him being among the top Americans in four years. But the opportunity to lose in the first round and see his ranking plummet comes up every year.

Not sure if he is eligible b/c of Davis Cup regulation.

Out of Queen's

Donald drew wc Jamie Baker in the lst round of Eastbourne: http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2012/741/mds.pdf

Donald Young will break the streak when he beats Jamie Baker.

Right now DY can't beat anyone in the top 250. Jamie Baker is in the top 250. So I predict Baker wins.

Now don't get me wrong. I truly hope DY does win. I will be happy if he wins. I just think he only has a 40% chance of winning.

What in the hell happened to Donald Young?

Unfortunately, I was right and DY goes down to another ignominious defeat. It's a foregone conclusion that his ranking will plummet this summer/fall. He will conclude 2012 ranked #200, more of less. If 2013 continues with similarly, I will not be surprised if he retires at the grand old age of 24.

At this rate, he will be a walking bye at the Olympics.

This may sound crazy, but I still have hope for him insofar as salvaging a decent career. He IS only 22. Someone upthread mentioned Spadea's return from a far more ignominious losing streak. Furthermore, I'm sure there are plenty more 2-13-or-worse runs in ATP history from players who bounced back. And likely, for those players and their fans, it looked just as hopeless as it does for DY now.

So he has age on his side, but that said, one thing he doesn't have on his side is a likely coaching change. I doubt he's ever gonna dump his parents as coaches and it's hard to blame him considering what that might do to the family dynamic. This can really be a problem across all sports. My favorite baseball team, the Cleveland Indians, had a promising young hitter in the 80's named Cory Snyder. Alas, he would only listen to his daddy's hitting advice, so his strikeouts went up, up, up while his homers and average went down, and his baseball career did not end with redemption.

At any rate, I'm pulling harder for him than anyone else right now.

While we're looking at the bright side (glass is 10% full, not 90% empty), DY now has a 2-match winning streak! He's playing doubles at Eastbourne with Ebden (Harrison's usual partner), and they have won their first two rounds. They play in the quarters tomorrow. At least that's something!

:lol: I like the positive thinking :yeah:.

They play in the quarters tomorrow.

Correction: They play in the SEMIS tomorrow. Even better.

[11]Isner v Falla
Lorenzi v Mahut
Andreev v Golding
Istomin v [23]Seppi
[26]Youzhny v Young
Cervantes v Cipolla
Sweeting v Starace
Nalbandian v [8]Tipsarevic

I'm afraid his losing streak will continue.

Lost in 4, expected.

You know what I wish DY would do? Try. Like, all the time.

"Lost in 4, expected."

Actually, better than expected. Expected would be losing in 3. It is possible he might never win another ATP match.

Nah, I think he will eventually snap the losing streak (just don't know when).

Donald will play Russell in the first round of Newport, full draw: http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2012/315/mds.pdf

Not sure what to expect.

Donald will play Russell in the first round of Newport, full draw: http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2012/315/mds.pdf

Not sure what to expect.

I'm 90% certain Russell will administer loss #13 to DY.

I think you are right. Russell plays him very smart. Just grinds him down until DY blows a gasket.

#13 is in the books. Mike Russell outcompeted, outfought, and outlasted DY, who as usual quit when the going got tough.

I foresee #14-Atlanta, #15-Olympics, then he'll have to qualify for Toronto and Cincy (and I assume he won't be able), #16-Winston-Salem, #17-US Open. Then his rankings drop and it's back to Challengers. Who knows when or if he will play another ATP match. So Spadea's record 21 straight may be safe for a good while.

Have you noticed that DY's function in the ATP tour this year (besides serving as cautionary tale/soap opera) has been to provide ranking boosts to his opponents? When he played Falla in the beginning of the year, Falla was #80; now he is 58. Lacko - was 119/now 58, Goffin - 148/59, Paire - 102/47, Matthieu 352/169, etc., etc. He does serve a useful function!

Wonder how far he will drop after the US Open. He should have definitely played 2-3 challengers during this drought to build a bit of confidence. Sad to see things fall apart like this. Couple of these matches he blew.

Wonder how far he will drop after the US Open. He should have definitely played 2-3 challengers during this drought to build a bit of confidence. Sad to see things fall apart like this. Couple of these matches he blew.

DY has 785 points at the moment, making him the #57 player in the world. He loses 625 points during the remainder of 2012, the bulk of which came from Washington DC, the US Open, and Bangkok. If he doesn't add a single point, he will end 2012 with 160 points, equivalent to around #280 in the world.

But maybe he will win some matches. Maybe not an ATP-level match, but he will soon be relegated to Challengers, where I assume he can be more successful. Assume he adds 100 points, winning a few rounds here and there, maybe getting to QF's or SF's. He will end 2012 with 260 points, equivalent to around #188 in the world.

That's the range I put him at by the end of the year - from #188 to #280.

Anybody know anything about his practice routine??

Earlier this yr I heard Robbie Koenig mention that he was traveling with a 16 yr old practice partner. I also remember hearing that PMac mentioned in his book that DY was having trouble finding people to practice with on the Challenger tour and they, the Youngs, thought that it was b/c he was black.

In the picture thread there's a photo of a young looking black guy with DY, looks like they are going/coming from practice at Newport. Looks like the same guy I saw on TV in Monte Carlo.

Anybody know whats up??

Donald draws Steve Johnson in the first round of Atlanta, full draw: http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2012/6116/mds.pdf

Seriously, he always gets such kind draws, I can't believe he managed to lose that many matches....

Steve Johnson, college player extraordinaire, has been appointed to hand DY loss #14. SJ was tough as nails in college, beating every player he faced the last two years. He played under tremendous pressure and scrutiny. I am 65% certain he will outfight DY.

Now there is a 35% chance that DY will win. To accomplish that, DY will have to stay on top the entire way and win in two quick sets, something like 62 63. If SJ makes the match close, count on DY to fold as usual.

Match went exactly as I expected, with DY folding in the third set. DY heads to the Olympics on quite a roll.

Just to think, had things turned out differently and DY went to college instead of turning pro (unlikely, I know, after winning a junior grand slam at 15), probably at Georgia or Illinois, he would not have even ended up being the best player in the NCAA.

Hard to continue rooting for someone performing so consistently below his potential.

I imagine we have all seen this in the past but revisiting this video, it is scarey how the problems DY had when it was made (giving up, getting down on himself, his mother etc) haunt him even now:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szM-gXfuKAA&feature=context-vrec

While we're looking at the bright side (glass is 10% full, not 90% empty), DY now has a 2-match winning streak! He's playing doubles at Eastbourne with Ebden (Harrison's usual partner), and they have won their first two rounds. They play in the quarters tomorrow. At least that's something!

While focused on DY's loss #14 in Atlanta, I forgot that he is also entered in doubles. He and his partner (Klaasen of South Africa) just beat the #2 seeded team. They will likely play old nemesis Matosevic and his partner next. Maybe DY can exorcise some demons in that match.

Hey, here's a thought. DY should focus on doubles. I know his professional doubles record is spotty, but I attribute that to a lack of attention and lack of a consistent, compatible partner. The ATP doubles tour is filled with failed singles players (where DY might actually shine). He needs a regular partner, preferably someone who (1) has the size, power, and physical presence that DY lacks and (2) someone (probably an older veteran) who will control DY's negativity, self-doubt, and frustation, sort of a coach on the court.

Let's root for DY in his next doubles match!

Even though he is playing like crap right now, the Olympics should be a positive experience for DY. It's one of the rare opportunities (aside from Davis Cup) to play for your country. Even if he loses unceremoniously in round one to some obscure unranked player, I hope he takes the time to soak in the atmosphere at the Olympic Village, watch other events, and take in the ceremonial grandeur of the Olympics. Maybe being exposed to the single-minded work ethic exuded by other Olympians will help revive Donald's career. Whatever the result, I hope he, along with John, Andy, Ryan and the Bryan brothers (and their counterparts on the women's side) represent our country well.

Even though he is playing like crap right now, the Olympics should be a positive experience for DY. It's one of the rare opportunities (aside from Davis Cup) to play for your country. Even if he loses unceremoniously in round one to some obscure unranked player, I hope he takes the time to soak in the atmosphere at the Olympic Village, watch other events, and take in the ceremonial grandeur of the Olympics. Maybe being exposed to the single-minded work ethic exuded by other Olympians will help revive Donald's career. Whatever the result, I hope he, along with John, Andy, Ryan and the Bryan brothers (and their counterparts on the women's side) represent our country well.

Hey PPF! I like your positivity. I must mention another major factor in his Olympic experience - DY will have a real coach, Jay Berger. That alone gives him a much better chance to actually break his epic losing streak (assuming he doesn't draw a seeded player in R1).

Wow he has a coach again. I hope this combined with the Olympics can at minimum snap his losing streak. At 23 now, the time is ticking.

Just to think, had things turned out differently and DY went to college instead of turning pro (unlikely, I know, after winning a junior grand slam at 15), probably at Georgia or Illinois, he would not have even ended up being the best player in the NCAA.

Hard to continue rooting for someone performing so consistently below his potential.

Gotta disagree here. When he would have been a freshman in college, 2008ish, he was top 100 in the world, coming off a year where he had won multiple Challenger titles, and reached several Challenger finals. There's no way you have that kind of success on the pro tour, then go to college.

Not to mention last year, where he made the semis of Washington, finals in Bangkok, & 4th rd at the US Open, and finished the yr at 39.

Lets take Steve Johnson for example, he's never won a Challenger title to date. I think he has 1 Futures title, and 1 Futures final as his best pro results, and he's the best college player the last 2 yrs running.

I think DYs biggest problem is he isnt working as hard & preparing as well as he did last year. I mentioned before about him working out with the likes of Querrey, Fish, & Sampras last year, along with the USTA coaches. This year, there's no talk of that, and we can all see the results. This yr he has so 'no name' 16 year old as a practice partner.

I'm not sure how accepted he is by the American players, to me it seems he's a bit of an outsider, not sure if it's through his doing, or what.

It's an interesting barroom argument. In support of your position, being ranked 100 in the world usually puts you comfortably above the best college players. I think DY was better during the past 4 years then most of the top college players near his vintage (Klahn, Rhyne Williams, Sandgren, etc.) However, the timing of his loss to Johnson -- just a few months after he won the NCAA's -- is just too interesting of a juxtaposition to ignore. True, Johnson is an outlier when it comes to contemporary college talent (2 year winning streak) and his best pro results are still quite modest (2 Futures, def. Chardy) compared to other successful pros his age. If you suspend disbelief and imagine that the match was NCAA final instead of a first round ATP event, it is interesting to look at the 4-year trajectory of both of their careers intersecting at this point and having Johnson come out on top -- in DY's hometown, no less.

DY tends to play up or down to the talent level of his opposition -- hence the inexplicable losses to people ranked in the 300's-400's -- and the signature wins (Monfils, Warwinka, Lopez,, Baghdatis, Murray) against the top-flight talent. (This might explain why, incidentally, he is so maddeningly ineffective against Russell, who is close enough to DY's talent pocket keep DY from forcing himself to recalibrate his game upward.) It is entirely possible that had he played in college his play would have gravitated towards the college-level talent surrounding him. It is also possible that, with the right coaching, he would have learned to use his tools better and be less prone to meltdowns. I guess it's all speculation at this point.