Tursunov returns to top 30 after long absence

Russian Dmitry Tursunov, who trains
in the Sacramento area, rose nine spots
to No. 30 in the latest rankings.
Photo by Paul Bauman

   It has been a long road back for Dmitry Tursunov.
   And it isn't over yet.
   The 30-year-old Moscow native, who trains in the Sacramento suburb of Granite Bay, returned to the top 30 in the world for the first time in more than four years Sunday.
   By reaching the semifinals of the Valencia Open 500 in Spain last week, the hard-hitting Tursunov rose nine spots to No. 30 in the new rankings. After reaching No. 29 on July 27, 2009, he battled injuries and dropped as low as No. 516 exactly one year later.
   Tursunov, one of four nominees for the 2013 Comeback Player of the Year on the ATP World Tour, has one more tournament this year to approach or surpass his career high of No. 20 in 2006.
   He is scheduled to play No. 39 Marcel Granollers of Spain on Tuesday in the first round of the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris. The winner will face top-ranked Rafael Nadal, who received a first-round bye, on Wednesday. Tursunov is 0-1 against Granollers and 0-3 against Nadal.
   Meanwhile, Bob and Mike Bryan narrowly were denied their 11th doubles title of the year, which would have tied their career high.
   Second seeds and defending champions Alexander Peya of Austria and Bruno Soares of Brazil saved four match points in a 6-7 (3), 7-6 (1), 13-11 match tiebreaker victory over the top seeds and former Stanford stars in the Valencia final.
   The Bryans, 35-year-old identical twins originally from Camarillo in the Los Angeles area, came within two match victories in the U.S. Open of becoming the second pair to win a calendar-year Grand Slam in men's doubles. Australians Ken McGregor and Frank Sedgman accomplished the feat in 1961.