Thursday Morning Man: Dmitry Tursunov!

So here’s the deal: If I were not here in Beverly Hills hunkered down covering the TV Critics Association Summer Press Tour this week, I would have made some time to head out to the tennis center at UCLA where the male pros are playing this week.

One of the entrants is this Russian stud, Dmitry Tursunov! He lost in the qualifying but is still competing in doubles of what is now called the Farmers Classic.

The 27 year old was 12 years old when he came to the United States to train and further his prospects of becoming a professional player.

He’s an offensive baseliner with excellent groundstrokes from both sides, and prefers to play on faster surfaces. He is the first to joke about his lack of ability and success on clay courts.

Tursunov helped the Russian Davis Cup Team win the 2006 Davis Cup and reach the finals of the next year. He’s twice made it to the fourth round at Wimbledon, won six career titles and been ranked as high as number 20 in the world.

But he’s suffered a series of injuries and his ranking currently hovers below 300. But his hotness is not lost on fans and promoters of the game: Tursunov was the December month in the 2009 Association of Tennis Professionals calendar.

Anyway, if Dmitry promises to play UCLA next year, I promise to be there!