10 Things: US Tennis Player Mallory Burdette

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10 Things: US Tennis Player Mallory Burdette

By Erik Gudris

(December 13, 2012) -- Mallory Burdette never expected to have a pro singles career. But her success this summer has made this former college standout a name to watch for the 2013 season.

1. Georgia Gal: Burdette was born in Macon, Georgia on January 28th, 1991.

2. Stanford Standout: Burdette attended Stanford University and won a NCAA doubles title with her partner Nicole Gibbs. Burdette also reached the NCAA singles finals but lost to Gibbs.

3. Banking on Success: Burdette squared off against Marion Bartoli in the Bank of the West Classic this summer in Stanford. Though she lost a close match against the Frenchwoman, Burdette said that match was an eye-opener for her. "That definitely was a confidence booster, kind of an eye opener when I played against her. I still lost the match but I knew that I could play with those girls. I knew it would take a lot more work to be able to play at that level and maintain it for a full set and be a great player like a Marion Bartoli."

4. ITF Victories: Burdette continued her rise with a pair of titles on the ITF circuit. She won a $10,000 event in Evansville, Illinois and later a $100,000 event in Vancouver. Those wins helped her secure a wildcard into the U.S. Open.

5. New York Glory: Burdette made national headlines as she rolled into the third round of Flushing Meadows with wins over Timea Bacsinszky and Lucie Hradecka before she fell to Maria Sharapova. At the time, Burdette was not able to accept the $65,000 in prize money she had won before she decided to turn pro after the tournament ended.

6. Decisions, Decisions: When asked about how she came to the decision to turn pro, Burdette said, "I had conversations with my coach Nick (Saviano) and my sports psychologist. I talked to her every day almost when I was up there at the U.S. Open. We had a lot of conversations back and forth about especially whether I was going to take the money or not. I got a lot of input from a lot of people but I realized that it was ultimately up to me to make the final decision. I don't remember a specific moment. But I do remember just enjoying being at the U.S. Open and thinking back on the summer and having a lot of fond memories playing those tournaments and thinking that this was something I wanted to pursue and that this was the right time. I just came to the conclusion during that week that this was something I wanted to try and I want to do it right then."

7. The Transition Game: Burdette has found the transition to the pro game easier than expected and credits her college years with helping her do that. "I'm lucky and it was good for me that I went to a school where the coaches were fairly laid back so it was up to us to manage our time. And also when you are in college it's up to you to manage your schooling and being a captain and dealing with team responsibilities as well. I think college prepared me very well for having to manage my time on the pro tour. So it's easier in some ways because I'm only having to focus on one thing at a time. I'm just focusing on my tennis." (Note: Burdette won her professional debut at the Party Rock Open in Las Vegas.)

8. Double Duty: Though her singles game is a priority, Burdette still wants to play doubles as well. "I love doubles. My doubles has been quite a bit lower than my singles so I definitely want to work on that so I can play at some of the bigger tournaments. I would love to find a solid partner and try to make it in doubles."

9. Off the Court: Before she turned pro, Burdette studied pre-med with the hopes of being a psychiatrist someday. In her spare time, she enjoys horse riding, swimming and spending time with family and friends.

10. First Time in Oz: Burdette will be traveling down under for the first time if she win the AO Wildcard or if she has to compete in qualies at the Australian Open next month.

(Photo Credit: USTA Southern)