#ProCane Michael Russell Plays in Aussie Open

This week former Miami Hurricane tennis standout Michael Russell played in his 10th Australian Open, after winning three qualifying matches to play in the main draw.

At age 36 Russell is currently ranked No. 156 (ATP). In the first match of the qualifying draw, Russell brushed aside his opponent ATP No. 171 Denys Molchanov from Ukraine, 6-2, 6-2. Russell then defeated the No. 21 seed in the qualifying draw and ATP No. 138 Thiemo de Bekker from the Netherlands in a three-set battle, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5. In his final qualifying match, Russell faced ATP No. 193 Liam Broady from Great Britain and defeated him in straight sets 7-5, 6-3.

After qualifying for the main draw, Russell faced David Goffin from Belgium, who is the No. 20 seed of the main draw and ATP No. 22. After pushing the match to a fourth set, Russell eventually fell, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5, 6-0. This was Russell’s 10th appearance in the main draw of the Australian Open.  

Russell’s best Grand Slam performance came in 2001, when he advanced to the fourth round of the French Open, when he held match point against eventual champion, Brazilian Gustavo Kuerten. In April 2012, Russell turned in his best tour-level result, defeating then-Top 10 player American Mardy Fish, to advance to the semifinals of the ATP World Tour event in Houston, Texas.

Russell has enjoyed a successful 16-year professional career, winning 15 ATP Challenger single titles, most recently in 2013 in Charlottesville, Va., when he defeated Canadian Peter Polansky in three sets, 7-5, 2-6, 7-6(5).  

In 1994, Russell was ranked as the 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. Shortly thereafter, Russell committed to play for the University of Miami. In 1996–97, in his freshman year, he was named NCAA Rookie of the Year and earned a No. 7 national ranking among singles players before leaving Miami to pursue a professional career the following year.