Path to recovery quick for tennis player::Philadelphia Inquirer (registration required)

Philadelphia Inquirer | 09/04/2005 | Path to recovery quick for tennis player~~~

That would be Alex Kuznetsov of course, whose astonishingly speedy recovery from a broken leg is the subject of this story. The details of his rehabilitation are interesting, but what's really fascinating is the psychological aspect of the post-accident reflections. The reporter ends with this:

He learned a hard lesson from the accident.
"I got a little carried away," he said. "I thought I was a little untouchable. Teenagers think that."
In a way, he mused, the accident may have been "a blessing in disguise for me because before, I think, I was taking my game for granted."
"If you're really focused on something, you wouldn't be going out and driving cars as fast as you can, so now I definitely look at my tennis career in a whole different way."

If you were lucky enough, as I was, to see the first set of his third round U.S. Jr. Open loss to Tim Smyczek (my account of that match is here) you can only hope that those sentiments will continue to guide him. His talent is undeniable--I'm hoping the only effect this injury has a year from now is in attitude and perspective.