Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Injury updates: Burdette, Tursunov, Millman

Mallory Burdette, a former Stanford star, slugs a backhand in
her victory over fellow American Jill Craybas in the first round
at Indian Wells last year. Photo by Paul Bauman
   Mallory Burdette is done, Dmitry Tursunov is recovering, and John Millman is OK.
   Burdette, a 23-year-old former Stanford star from Jackson, Ga., recently announced her retirement after only one year as a professional because of shoulder problems.
   The 5-foot-10 (1.77-meter) right-hander underwent surgery on her right shoulder last November and completed her bachelor's degree in psychology during her layoff.
   "As my tennis career comes to an end, only now am I able to fully appreciate the beauty of the journey," Burdette wrote on her Facebook page. "I couldn't be more proud of what I've accomplished, and, at the same time, excited to see what the future holds in the next chapter of my life."
   Burdette reached the third round of the 2012 U.S. Open (losing to Maria Sharapova) and at Indian Wells and Charleston in early 2013. She climbed to a career-high No. 68 that June.
   Burdette and her older sisters, Erin and Lindsay, combined to win four NCAA doubles titles while at Stanford. Erin triumphed in 2005 (with Alice Barnes), Lindsay in 2010 (with Hilary Barte), and Mallory in 2011 (with Barte) and 2012 (with Nicole Gibbs).
   Tursunov, a Moscow native who has a residence in the Sacramento suburb of Folsom, has played only one tournament since Wimbledon because of a left ankle problem related to plantar fasciitis. He lost to Alejandro Gonzalez of Colombia 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 in the first round of the U.S. Open.
   Tursunov, who will turn 32 on Dec. 12, wrote in an e-mail today that he hopes to return to the circuit in January but isn't sure if he'll be ready. Ranked a career-high No. 20 in 2006, the often-injured Tursunov has tumbled to No. 110.
   Millman, a 25-year-old Australian, withdrew from the recent Toyota (Japan) Challenger for precautionary reasons after winning the Traralgon (Australia) and Yokohama (Japan) Challengers in the previous two weeks.
   The 6-foot (1.83-meter) right-hander returned to the circuit in April after undergoing surgery in July 2013 for a torn labrum (cartilage) in his right shoulder.
   On the three-week Northern California Challenger swing this fall, Millman reached the quarterfinals in Napa, semifinals in Sacramento and final in Tiburon.
   In only five months, Millman has skyrocketed from No. 1,193 to No. 159, near his career high of No. 126 in April 2013.

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