The stagnation of Donald Young: Lessons for Ryan Harrison

It’s not very controversial to say that Donald Young has completely failed to live up to the potential he showed as a junior.

The Atlanta southpaw is currently languishing outside the world’s top 100 and it’s now over two and a half years since he reached his career high mark of 73. He is only 21 but has stopped making any worthwhile progress.

While it is still too early to write him off, it appears that that Donald Young has simply settled for mediocrity. 

Can Jack sock it to the pros?

US Open boys singles champion Jack Sock, courtesy of Zootennis

The USA didn't have a whole lot to celebrate at this year's US Open. Andy Roddick, James Blake and John Isner were all sent packing in the first week. Mardy Fish went down without a fight to Novak Djokovic and when Sam Querrey earned himself the opportunity for a major career breakthrough against Stan Wawrinka in the fourth round, he froze.

In the context of those disappointments, Jack Sock's triumph over compatriot Denis Kudla in the boys singles was a much needed boost for American tennis. In taking the title, the young Nebraskan became the first American male to win a junior slam since Donald Young won Wimbledon in 2007, and the first since Andy Roddick  in 2000 to take his home slam.

But what does the title mean for Sock's prospects in the professional game? Roddick repeated his junior success as a pro and established himself as one of the top players in the game. Young, in contrast, has struggled and is currently ranked just outside the top 100.

Which career path is more typical; Young's or Roddick's? An analysis of all junior slam winners between 1995 and 2004 doesn't lead to any definite conclusions but makes for some interesting reading nonetheless

Here's the breakdown.

Kournikova: A case for the defence

If you want to give your blog a bit of a makeover write something on Anna Kournikova. It won’t do your page views any harm and browsing the web for suitable photographs isn’t exactly the most strenuous work you'll ever do.

That's the kind of thinking that bothers me though. Kournikova has become known so exclusively for looks that her tennis career has become a sort of sneer-worthy afterthought. It's grossly unfair when you consider what she achieved despite the media circus she had to contend with from a very early age.

Has there ever been a sporting figure whose celebrity has been so disproportionate to their achievements? There undoubtedly has actually, but the cult of Kournikova appears to have come to represent the ultimate victory of style over substance. “With the ascent of Anna, eroticism trumps athleticism” were the bitter words of one NY Times writer back when Kournikova was a top 10 player.