Dent wins first U.S. Open match since 2005

NEW YORK -- Taylor Dent defied doctors' predictions that he'd never play professional again by winning the opening match of his return to the U.S. Open after four years on the sidelines with a back injury.

Returning to the Flushing Meadows as a competitor for the first time since having his back repaired, the 28-year-old American beat Feliciano Lopez of Spain 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-3, 7-5 on Tuesday to reach the second round.

This all seemed so impossible when Taylor Dent was lying in bed 23 hours a day, recuperating from his second back operation.And later, when he would be out of breath after a short stroll.

"I wanted to be here competing and playing well and playing matches. So to be back here accomplishing that is pretty remarkable," said Dent, who reached a career-high ranking of No. 21 in 2005 before having two surgeries to repair broken vertebrae.

"I still have a long way to go. I still feel like my game is still pretty rough around the edges. But it's extremely exciting."

The serving motion he had to adjust because of his back problems managed to produce 18 aces against Lopez. Dent still plays the hard-charging, serve-and-volley style he always has, and he won 39 of 58 points when he went to the net.

"I was told by the doctors that this was not realistic," Dent said. "After I kind of succumbed to the fact I had to have the surgeries to have a normal life, I came to grips with the fact that I wasn't going to be able to play professional tennis anymore."

So it was that a pro tennis player -- and the son of a pro tennis player, 1974 Australian Open runner-up Phil Dent -- began to think about other careers.

He looked into applying for a real estate license, but the economy was faltering, so that didn't seem to be a good move.

"Religion fascinates me. Politics fascinate me. I was poking around," Dent recalled. "I was going through such a bout of almost depression at that stage that doing work was really tough on me, too."

Eventually, though, the pain began to subside. His mobility began to return.

Once again, Taylor Dent was on a tennis court, working his way back to the tour. And on Tuesday, Dent was back at the U.S. Open, actually winning.

So if Dent gets a day off before having to play in the second round, will he have time to recover? Will he be fine to play again that quickly?

"We'll find out," he said. "I believe I'll be ready to go. I'll be jumping out of my skin."