Sports

Bear-hugged by Yeltsin, Davis Cup warrior 'Colonel' Youzhny calls it quits

September 21, 2018
Mikhail Youzhny brought the curtain down on his two-decade career on Thursday. — AFP
Mikhail Youzhny brought the curtain down on his two-decade career on Thursday. — AFP

SAINT PETERSBURG — Mikhail Youzhny brought the curtain down on his two-decade career on Thursday, a rollercoaster ride which saw him win 10 titles, earn the affectionate nickname of 'Colonel' and get a sweaty hug from former Russian president Boris Yeltsin.

The 36-year-old, who also once became a brief internet hit for whacking his head with his racquet so hard that his skull bled profusely, ended his time in the sport on 499 wins after losing 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 6-3 to Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut in the St Petersburg second round.

Youzhny reached No. 8 in the world rankings and played in two triumphant Davis Cup squads. One of those made him a national hero when he came from two sets down in the fifth and final rubber of the 2002 final to beat France's Paul-Henri Mathieu in Paris.

Yeltsin, watching from the sidelines, could not contain himself and the former president sprinted onto the court to warmly embrace an exhausted Youzhny.

"If I played tennis on home courts only I wouldn't finish my career so early," Youzhny said. "But I'm too tired to travel around the world."

"I'm happy with the level of tennis that I performed today but I have no plans to come back. I decided to quit and there's no way back."

Youzhny, the 2004 champion in St Petersburg, once spent 13 successive seasons in the world's top 50 and claimed 31 top 10 wins.

Each victory was celebrated by a trademark salute of right hand to temple — and racket balanced on his head.

"It's a pleasure for me to play Mikhail's last match," Bautista Agut said. "He's an outstanding fighter who always gives everything he has on the court."

French Open runner-up Dominic Thiem, the top seed in St Petersburg, advanced into the quarterfinals with a straight-sets win over Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff.

The 25-year-old Austrian, who is seeking his third title of 2018, won 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 in one hour and 33 minutes.

"It was a very interesting match, my first indoor match of the year against a very tough opponent," said Thiem, playing for the first time since his epic 4-hour 49-minute quarter-final defeat to Rafael Nadal at the US Open.

"He serves very hard, every first serve comes at almost 210km/h. But I made it through and I hope to perform better than three years ago when I was in the last four."

Thiem will next face local favorite Daniil Medvedev, the eighth seed, who ousted Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan 6-3, 6-4.

Canada's Denis Shapovalov, the seventh seed, battled into the quarterfinals with a hard-fought three-setter against Matteo Berrettini of Italy, 7-6 (8-6), 4-6, 6-0. Shapovalov next faces Slovak Martin Klizan, the 2012 champion.

Former Australian Open junior

champ found guilty of match-fixing

Former Australian Open junior champion Oliver Anderson was convicted of match-fixing on Friday after admitting deliberately losing a set during an ATP tournament in 2016.

The now 20-year-old has been banned since February 2017, meaning he is now free to play again as his 19-month suspension has been served.

After being approached by a friend and asked to drop a set at the second-tier Traralgon Challenger event in Victoria in 2016, someone tried to place a A$10,000 ($7,300, 6,200 euros) bet with a bookmaker who alerted the police.

Anderson agreed to the proposal when he realized he could easily beat his first-round opponent Harrison Lombe, some 900 spots below him in the rankings.

He lost the first set 6-4, before taking the next two sets 6-0, 6-2 to win the match.

Although Anderson went on to win the match and received no financial benefit himself, his conduct was in breach of the tennis Anti-Corruption Program.

France to host third

Davis Cup final in Lille

Reigning Davis Cup champions France will return to Lille's Stade Pierre-Mauroy for the final clash against Croatia in November, the French tennis federation (FFT) announced on Friday.

The stadium, home of French Ligue 1 football club Lille, also hosted last year's final against Belgium, and the semi-final win over Spain last weekend.

France lost the 2014 final to a Switzerland team inspired by Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka at the same venue.

Yannick Noah's home side will be bidding for an 11th Davis Cup title in the final year before the tournament is revamped, but face a tough test against a Croatia outfit including world No. 6 Marin Cilic and the in-form youngster Borna Coric. The final will take place from Nov. 23-25. — AFP


September 21, 2018
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