Tennis can be really unfair sometimes, especially to someone like Brian Baker, a prodigious junior who made a sensational comeback last season just to be dealt a major blow a couple of months later at this year's Australian Open.
After losing the 2003 French Open junior final to Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka, Brian looked poised to become the next big American tennis player. The former no.2 ranked junior made a quick transition to the limelight, recording his first top 10 win at the 2005 US Open. After upsetting then-no.9, former French Open champion, Argentinean Gaston Gaudio, in the first round, he would lose his next encounter with Belgian Xavier Malisse, his last ATP-level match since last May.
During his seven year hiatus, Brian battled never-ending injuries and medical issues. He underwent a series of extremely dangerous surgeries that could have potentially ended his career: left hip (2005), sports hernia (2006), right elbow reconstructive surgery (February 2008), left hip again (April 2008), right hip (June 2008).
Injury free and rejuvenated, Baker decided to give tennis one last shot in 2012. His breakthrough result came at the small clay-court tournament in Nice, where he reached his first career final. Ranked No. 216, he qualified for the main draw, where he took out home favourite, Gael Monfils, before succumbing to red-dirt specialist, Nicolas Almagro. His run of good form continued, and he obtained a more impressive performance at Wimbledon. As a qualifier, he went all the way to the fourth round, where he lost to German Phillipp Kohlschreiber.
With a ranking inside the top 50, Baker set his sights on a great follow-up in 2013. Things got off to an excellent start, the American winning his Melbourne opener against Russian Alex Bogomolov Jr. It was during his second round match though that misery stroke. Leading his compatriot, Sam Querrey, by one set to love, Brian injured his knee and was forced to retire immediately. The damage was so severe that he could barely strand. He was carried off the court in a wheelchair, while the Aussie crowd gave him a loud ovation. It was reported that a woman shouted from the stands, "Don't give up, Brian."
"He said he kind of just felt his knee almost buckle and kind of heard like a pop or a snap," Querrey said after the match. "He didn't know if it was bones or a tear, but he couldn't straighten it, couldn't walk." His opponent added: "He's the last person that deserves anything like that. He does everything right, treats his body great, just trying to come back, and then something like that happens, it's just so unlucky."
It was later confirmed that he tore his meniscus, an injury that is expected to keep him off court for at least four months. We genuinely wish Brian a speedy recovery!
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| Unlucky American, Brian Baker, had to be carried off the court in a wheelchair after injuring his knee during his second round clash with compatriot, Sam Querrey, at the Australian Open. Misery stroke early in the second set, with Brian leading one set to love. |
photos (top-down): GETTY IMAGES (x2), Reuters
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