By: James Waterson
|
Photo Credit: Andy Kentla
|
(December 2, 2011) Alex Bogomolov Jr. will play for Russia in next year’s Davis Cup competition after the International Tennis Federation approved the change.
Bogomolov Jr. has played as an American since he turned professional in 2002, but he has never represented the United States in the Davis Cup.
At 27 years old, he has had the best season of his career this year. He reached a career high of No. 33, and he was voted as the most improved player by his peers.
Despite reaching new heights in the rankings, he is still the fourth-ranked American behind Mardy Fish, Andy Roddick and John Isner. Meanwhile, he holds the top spot among Russian players.
Bogomolov Jr. can play for Russia because he was born in Moscow. His family moved to Mexico and then to the United States when he was young, which is why he has Russian and American citizenship.
His father, Alex Bogomolov, was a renowned coach who mentored Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Andrei Medvedev.
According to the Associated Press, Bogomolov Jr. could play for Russia in the Olympics if the ITF approved.