Kiedyś uznawany za wielki talent, teraz już wiadomo, iż to jeden z wielu challanger level w Ameryce:)) jak ma zagrać z kimś trochę bardziej ogarniętym nie ma szans. No ale może sie to zmieni, wątpie:))

Can Young rediscover stylish game?

Six hours before his first-round match a week ago, Donald Young -- against the hopes of the ATP World Tour -- was banging balls with 125 at-risk kids, playing a spirited doubles tiebreaker at Atlanta's Washington Park Tennis Center.

"The ATP had told me not to ask him to play -- which I did not -- [but] he got on the court and played with some of the high-performance kids," Nell Long, of the Georgia Tennis Foundation, wrote in an e-mail. "They loved it, and they loved him. Perfect mentor for the kids."

And then, after lunch and a brief rest, The Donald went out and wrecked Dudi Sela 7-5, 6-0 at the Atlanta Tennis Championships. It was an important victory for Young because it propelled him back into the top 100 after an absence of nearly two years.

Given the circumstances, a lot of professionals wouldn't have risen nine hours before their match, gone out and put on that clinic.

"This is where I live," Young told ESPN.com. "It's important to give back to the city and the tournament. The kids were smiling and really happy to see me."

A long, long time ago, it seems, Donald Young was a kid himself.

Five years earlier, Young won the Australian Open junior tournament at the age of 15. He was the world's year-end No. 1 ranked junior player -- at 16, the youngest ever -- following athletes like Roger Federer (1998), Andy Roddick (2000) and Richard Gasquet (2002). In 2007, Young won the Wimbledon junior title, the same year he reached the third round of the U.S. Open and finished as the youngest player in the top 100. In 2008, he recorded a career-high ATP ranking of No. 73 and played 29 matches.

On Friday, very quietly, Donald Young turned 21.

"I was doing those things at 16, 17 years old and then they started writing me off," said Young, whose age is equivalent to that of a college junior. "That's what happens when you put yourself out there early.

"I was hoping it was going to happen for me, but it was a boy playing against men. Professional tennis is tough, man -- the players are better and the game is deeper. I knew it was going to take some time."

After two years in purgatory, Young is making cautious progress. His ranking of No. 99 makes him the seventh-ranked U.S. man. Moreover, he is 15 months younger than Sam Querrey, the youngest of those ahead of him.

In 2008, Young proved conclusively that he was not ready for the very top of the tennis ladder. His ranking allowed him to play in a number of marquee tournaments, but he lost 21 of 29 matches. When the wild cards started disappearing, he returned to playing a heavy Challenger schedule, the Triple-A of the tennis circuit, and trying to qualify for selected ATP events.

This year, he seems to have rediscovered the stylish, varied game that carried him past so many of his junior peers. Young has always had the shots -- it was his size that kept him from hammering those serves and groundstrokes.

What's missing (from this vantage point, at least) is fitness and muscle. He says he's grown a bit more, topping out at 5-foot-11, 165 pounds, but strength and stamina seem to remain an issue.

"It's great to see him getting these wins," said U.S. Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe. "But he needs to continue to stress his fitness; the way the game is played today, it's next to impossible to make it inside the top 50 without a huge commitment to fitness.

"If he got himself into phenomenal shape, there's no telling how good he could be."

Over the years, the USTA repeatedly has tried to help Young in terms of coaching and training. But Young, still coached by parents Illona and Donald Sr., both teaching pros, has resisted these efforts. After a trial period in the spring with a USTA-supplied coach, the two sides broke -- perhaps for the last time.

"Me and the USTA, we're kosher," Young said. "We talk, but it's a little bit of a gray area."

Still, he's won 22 of 30 Challenger matches this year, including the title in Carson in May as well as the final at Aptos this month.

"I feel like winning begets winning," Young said. "Winning against these guys gives you points -- and confidence."

Although Young lost to Kevin Anderson in the second round at Atlanta, Young is a respectable 2-3 (.400) in ATP matches this year -- a better percentage than his disappointing career mark of 12-40 (.231).

What areas does he need to improve in?

"Every aspect," Young said quickly. "Mentality is a big thing, but I'd like everything to be more solid -- backhand, forehand, serve. The serve is probably the most important. I need to get more free points off my serve."

Young did not receive a direct entry into the U.S. Open because his ranking of No. 105 last Monday was too low, and five players with unprotected rankings skipped over him. Although he did not receive a wild card into last year's Open -- he was forced to qualify his way into the main draw -- his play has caught the eye of McEnroe, who runs the USTA's elite tennis operation.

"Based on his ranking and results," McEnroe said, "I think it bodes well for his chances [of a wild card]."

Young hopes to do some more damage over the summer -- and beyond.

"I still have my goals," he said. "I'd like to win a Slam. Yeah, it's always there in the back of your mind. But I have to go step by step. Everybody does that in their own time."

http://espn.go.com/sports/tennis/notebo … ylish-game

2010 w liczbach

Ranking: 127
Turnieje: 0
Finały: 0
Mecze: 3-6
Zarobki: $129,855