Starting on December 7—the 25th day left in 2010—TENNIS.com will countdown from the year-end No. 25 on both tours with "The Last Word," a look back at the year that was and a look ahead at the season to come. Here's who we've looked at so far.
Best of 2010
When Andy Murray went out at the U.S. Open, the experienced Youzhny was there to fill the gap. He reached his first Grand Slam semifinal in four years by beating Murray’s conqueror, Stan Wawrinka, in a memorable five-setter.
Worst of 2010
While Youzhny had more than respectable results at Flushing Meadows and Roland Garros, where he made the quarters, he was a disappointment at Wimbledon, where he lost in the second round to Paul-Henri Mathieu.
Year in Review
You can’t take too much issue with a guy who had the best season of his career, finishing at No. 10, at age 28. Aside from the semis of the Open, he won a title in Munich and reached finals in Dubai and Rotterdam. Do as Youzhny would: Give a hearty Russian salute to a good tour soldier.
See for Yourself
Youzhny fights past Wawrinka to make a Slam semi:
The Last Word
Youzhny should be applauded for playing such consistently good tennis under a very full schedule when he’s on the verge of his 30s. At the same time, his presence in the Top 10 shows how heavily weighted the ranking points are at the very pinnacle.
—Steve Tignor