Tom Tebbutt
From Friday's Globe and Mail Published on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2007 10:48PM EDT Last updated on Friday, Apr. 03, 2009 10:34AM EDT
He sauntered down a corridor at the U.S. Open yesterday with his trademark curly hair, dressed casually and wearing flip-flops — every bit the beach boy from seaside Florianopolis, Brazil.
Three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten was back playing, but only in doubles. He and partner Robby Ginepri of the United States were defeated 7-6 (5), 6-2 by Kuerten's Brazilian compatriots Marcelo Melo and Andre Sa.
Turning 31 in two weeks, Kuerten ranks No. 658 in singles and has not been a serious factor on the professional tennis circuit since hip operations in 2004 and 2002.
"Right now, there's no chance," he said of the possibility of returning to singles play. "I need to have more endurance and more agility. Hopefully, it can come together, but I don't like to play singles if I don't even have a chance to win."
Kuerten will be part of the Brazilian Davis Cup team, which will play in Austria next month. But he will play only doubles.
"I feel really happy right now," he said cheerfully of his life. "I wouldn't change to be 20 years old."
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