The sizeable shadow 6-foot-5 Max Mirnyi casts on the court looms larger as he approaches net. The Beast from Belarus is an impressive force in full flight when facing his serve-and-volley style can be as imposing as playing dodge ball with a wrecking ball.

These days Mirnyi occupies an even more prominent position on the ATP Tour as one of the last practicioners of a drastically diminishing form. Serve-and-volley tennis is dying at the pro level and while he concedes it is a shame to see tennis' artistic art form replaced by an ongoing conveyor belt of baseline blasters, the Beast hardly operates like an endangered species as he continues pressing forward in tennis and in life.

Mirnyi's mission is to keep a form practiced by many of the game's greats moving ahead though he concedes sustaining life as an endangered species in the survival of the fittest world of the ATP Tour may well require environmental aid in adjustments in ball and surface speed as string technology has shifted the delicate balance of the game decidedly in the hands of the returners and baseliners. 

"[It is] important to realize that across the board players are much stronger and better athletes now than they were 15 to 20 years ago and it takes much more of a complete player to even make your way to the net now," Mirnyi told Tennis Week. "So, if you could think of all the net rushing players from the past and current as one animal — The Beast — it is alarmingly fair to say that the humanity is witnessing the extinction of The Beast! And no Green Peace keepers will prevent it from happening in the near future that's for sure. Some changes need to be made within the sport to help balance things out. Whether changes are needed, you judge for yourself, but it is clear to me that tennis lost its versatility and has become very much one dimensional.  With the exception of Federer who is showing us time after time a full rage of game's elements the rest of the field is very much one dimensional and alike."

He owns career victories over current World No. 1 Roger Federer as well as former top-ranked players Pete Sampras (Mirnyi won two of three meetings with Sampras), Gustavo Kuerten and Marat Safin and continues to play singles qualifying events while welcoming wild card opportunities.

An adaptable and supportive presence in doubles, the list of players Mirnyi has partnered to win doubles and mixed doubles titles reads like a cast of competitors capable of comprising a future wing of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. He has captured doubles championships with World No. 1 Roger Federer (2003 Indian Wells), former No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt (2000 U.S. Open) and Jonas Bjorkman (2005-2006 Roland Garros) and won mixed doubles title with Serena Williams (the 1998 Wimbledon and U.S. Open titles). Last September, he partnered compatriot Victoria Azarenka to capture the 2007 U.S. Open mixed doubles crown.  

He formed a new partnership with Jamie Murray at the start of this season and the pair have responded beating the top-ranked Bryan brothers to win Delray Beach in February before reaching the Indian Wells semifinals in March.

"Winning Delray and getting to the semis of Indian Wells were very needed steps for us to take in our young partnership," Mirnyi said. "Considering that during this time we had a win over current Wimbledon champions Michael Llodra and Arnaud Clement and two wins over our top team today — the Bryan brothers — gives us good confidence and motivation to continue working together. As anything new in life, it takes time to get adapted to and feel natural about. A doubles partnership is no exception."

Though he is often identified with one style of play, off court Mirnyi is one of the most versatile men in tennis. You may know Mirnyi holds Belarus' Davis Cup records for most wins (46-26), most doubles victories (22-9) and most ties played (33) and shares national records with Vladimir Voltchkov for most singles victories (24), most years played (15) and best doubles team (19-7) and that he was voted vice president of the Belarus Tennis Federation.

What you may not know about Mirnyi is he is one of tennis' top thinkers: a thoughtful, well-read who spends his spare time on the road, reading and writing and learning languages (he speaks and writes Russian and English and is practicing French and Spanish) and is an accomplished guitar player who has recorded songs. 

Even as a teenager, Mirnyi maintained a strong sense of self-discipline. He left home in Belarus at age 13 to come to the United States and pursue a tennis career. Arriving in the Belarusian community in Brooklyn, he was a scrawny kid who had yet to sprout to the heights he would reach and was a bit of a grinder boasting a two-handed backhand until he turned on NBC's coverage of Breakfast at Wimbledon, watched Michael Stich win the 1991 Wimbledon and decided on the spot to change to a one-handed backhand. It was a decision that helped shape his career.

"I clearly remember that moment when in July of 1991 after watching Michael Stich win Wimbledon I said to myself 'His one handed backhand just looks so good and I want to hit mine just like that.' " Mirnyi recalls. "And I went to the wall at a public park in Brooklyn to make my switch. After that practice I never looked back."

If Mirnyi looks like he plays tennis with all the exuberance of a man who has gained a new lease on life, that's because he has. Mirnyi and wife Ksusha, the proud parents of daughters Melanie, age 3,  and 13-month-old Petra, may be alive today thanks to Melanie, who helped save her parents lives before she was even born.

Shortly before 5 a.m. on a May morning four years ago, the Mirnyis were sound asleep in the Grand Hotel Parco dei Principi where many ATP players were staying while playing Rome when a fire began raging through the building.

In the early stages of pregnancy, Ksusha woke up to use the bathroom, was struck by the acrid smell of smoke and through the darkness she saw the door began to blur into a blaze. Ksusha awoke her husband from a sound sleep and the couple escaped with little more than the clothes on their back.

Three people perished in the fire. Marat Safin's racquets were burnt to ashe, Sjeng Schalken leaped from his seventh floor balcony to the safety of Andy Roddick's sixth floor suite where the pair helped some guests to safety.

On the street, Mirnyi, clad only in a pair of shorts and a towel, and Ksusha were thankful to escape with their lives.

"I certainly remember that horrifying moment. I am not sure if it wasn't for the early stages of my wife's pregnancy, which made her go to the bathroom more often than before, would we have woken up at that time of night," Mirnyi recalls. "She got up only for that reason and only then smelled the smoke and saw the front door catch fire. I was deep asleep when she woke me up having seen all that. We were very lucky and didn't know who to thank: The God, stars, the destiny or maybe just our little Melanie who decided to fight for her life already there?! We are so grateful to still be here and live the lives we are living!"

It is a very full life beyond the confines of the court.

The 31-year-old Mirnyi, who splits time between his homes in Minsk and Bradenton, hits the books when he's not hitting tennis balls. He has been pursuing a law degree and with an extensive summer schedule of tournaments — as well as the Olympic Games in Beijing — ahead he has postponed his diploma thesis and final exams until the last week of September. If he completes his thesis and passes ihs final exam he is on track to complete his Masters Degree in International law at Belarus State University. He would join Mario Ancic, who earned his law degree earlier this month in his hometown of Split, Croatia, as the second ATP pro to earn a degree this year.

"I very much admire any athlete who finds the time and disciplines him or herself to continue education past high school," Miryni says. "It will give to those a much broader spectrum on life and post professional career opportunities. I want to congratulate our latest graduate from the University of Split, Croatia, Mario Ancic, majoring at Law. Great job Mario! I hope to be the next."

Tennis Week caught up with Mirnyi after last week's Monte Carlo tournament for this interview.

Tennis Week: Max, you won Delray Beach and reached the Indian Wells semifinals with Jamie Murray, what do each of you bring to the partnership? How do you feel about the way it's going and what is the biggest challenge with a new partner in terms of learning each other's games and on-court and off-court communication?

Max Mirnyi: That's right, winning Delray and getting to the semis of Indian Wells were very needed steps for us to take in our young partnership. Considering that during this time we had a win over current Wimbledon champions Michael Llodra and Arnaud Clement and two wins over our top team today — the Bryan brothers — gives us good confidence and motivation to continue working together. As anything new in life, it takes time to get adapted to and feel natural about. A doubles partnership is no exception. We know each other's strengths and weaknesses and now it's a matter of working out a consistent, winning formula. Jamie is a great guy to be around and I enjoy his Scottish character very much!

Tennis Week: In what ways does playing singles help your doubles game and in what way does doubles help your singles game?

Max Mirnyi: I never really differentiate too much singles from the doubles play. I always know how my best tennis is played and whether I am on the singles or a doubles court I just try to be as effective as I can be on that given day. The fact that my style of play brings me forward, it has never been a challenge for me to switch from one to another. 

Tennis Week: What is the biggest lesson you've learned from fatherhood and do your wife and daughters travel with you? How has being a husband and father impacted your tennis life or your views on life? Can your family be a source of strength for you during your playing days or provide a sense of perspective about life aside from tennis?

Max Mirnyi: I must say that due to my unorthodox upbringing — leaving the family at 13 for New York in search of a way to make it — and the parental guidance that I received earlier in life made me mature and helped me set perspectives on life fairly early. By the age of 16 I had a clear picture before me of what I wished to do with my life and what it would take to achieve it. My determination was and still is very strong to do everything so that looking back I will have no regrets. And I feel that because of this kind of a motive my life is well balanced and in harmony with all of its aspects. 
 
Tennis Week: It's an exciting time for tennis in that we have one of the best players of all time in Federer, one of the best clay-courters of all time in Nadal and talented young players like Djokovic, Murray, Tsonga, and Gasquet yet in the U.S. two of the biggest tournaments — Indian Wells and Miami — saw decreased TV coverage even though they enjoyed record-setting attendance. What — if anything — can tennis do to attract more TV coverage for non-Grand Slam events?

Max Mirnyi: Indian Wells and Miami, in my opinion, are not the right tournaments to make the judgment on for the TV coverage and ratings in the U.S. It will be always difficult to oppose the NCAA basketball tournament during that time. Otherwise these are very popular and well attended events. Perhaps, other non-Grand Slam events have less resistance and sooner rather than later will meet their set goals concerning over all value of their product. I know a lot of work is being done by the ATP to facilitate this process .In general, this new and very exciting generation of players making a huge impact around the world and the game of tennis is growing steadily despite the slowing of the world economy. 

Tennis Week: Are you satisfied that doubles is gaining enough exposure? Do you think if some indoor surfaces were sped up — as Roddick recently suggested at Davis Cup in Winston-Salem — it might encourage serve-and-volley tennis to come back or at least foster wider variety of shots?

Max Mirnyi: Well, it seems to me that there could never be enough exposure for the doubles. It is a wonderful, a totally different side to tennis that many people don't even get a chance to witness and therefore don't understand it. The ATP has taken an aggressive approach to make a difference in that in the last couple of years and only time will tell how successful all of these changes are. Statistically, the game of doubles is much healthier right now than it was four to six years ago, but currently I still feel that the players as well as the fans are digesting all of the innovations. It will definitely help when the ATP, WTA and ITF reach common terms under which tennis is run and played and the sooner that happens the better for the game of tennis over all. As far as the serve and volley tennis is concerned, the speed of the surfaces is partially the reason why [it is not as prevalent today] but also many other variables that are in effect today, as the result of which we see tennis the way it is now. Bigger and heavier balls, the transformation in the racquets — its widths, length and stiffness — and the strings — the Luxilon fever, a very stiff string that allows player to swing at the ball as hard they want and the ball picks up tremendous topspin and dips into the court, are just to name a few. Having said all that, it is also important to realize that across the board players are much stronger and better athletes now than they were 15 to 20 years ago and it takes much more of a complete player to even make your way to the net now. So, if you could think of all the net rushing players from the past and current as one animal — The Beast — it is alarmingly fair to say that the humanity is witnessing the extinction of The Beast! And no Green Peace keepers will prevent it from happening in the near future that's for sure. Some changes need to be made within the sport to help balance things out. Whether changes are needed, you judge for yourself, but it is clear to me that tennis lost its versatility and has become very much one dimensional.  With the exception of Federer who is showing us time after time a full rage of game's elements the rest of the field is very much one dimensional and alike. To me, the most exciting product will always be when you have McEnroe, and others who wanna be like him, battling Borg and Connors, with their followers,  Edberg and Becker, with their "students", vs. Lendl, and his fitness "maniacs",  Sampras vs. Agassi, with the American pride on the line for the top spot and their great, contrasting styles displayed.
 
 
Tennis Week: You've reached the Wimbledon fourth round (in singles) three times in the past five years. You've played in a Masters Series singles final, how do you feel about the state of your singles game now? Do you want to play more singles events? Are wild cards accessible to you? Does it depend on your relationship with tournament directors or exactly how do you go about getting singles wild cards?
 
Max Mirnyi: I am still fit and very passionate about my tennis. Again, I don't treat singles and doubles differently. Setting goals helps me move on and work on archiving them. One of the main goals at this point is this year's Olympics and let it be in singles, doubles or both I want to give myself the best chance I can to do well there. For that to happen I've committed to a full schedule of tournaments where I plan to participate in singles and doubles in most of them. Tournaments where I don't get in singles I request a wild card. And it's great to feel that all tournament directors are very welcoming and open with me. I've been considered for a wild card every time I needed it so far and only in some cases didn't get it. I want to use this opportunity to once again thank Mr. Ayman Azmy and Bill Rapp for giving me the chance to play singles in their events — Doha and San Jose respectively — and, if I may add, any one else that cares and capable of helping to save The Beast from extinction please make yourself heard. I, with all my heart really appreciate your gesture and another opportunity to play singles, and to say the least, fans are going to love those approaches to net, quick reflexes and the dives, yet again. 

Tennis Week: You trained in both Belarus and the USA. The USTA just hired Patrick McEnroe to head its elite player development program. I realize this is a very broad question, but in general is there anything you think American coaches can learn from player development in other successful countries and apply it here? Some say American juniors are not as hungry, some say Americans could benefit from learning to play on clay, others say it is simply cyclical and all nations go through ups and downs. What do you think?

Max Mirnyi: You are right, it is a broad issue and there are several ways to produce players but I think there is one common denominator no matter where you look. When you gather the best players in one area and provide all conditions for a healthy, competitive atmosphere sooner or later those best players are going to make each other better and better. I've spent my whole tennis life training in Bradenton at the IMG Bollettieri Academy and witnessed Nick raise generation after generation using that approach. I am sure Patrick McEnroe with his overwhelming knowledge and experience as a player, coach and an administrator will make needed adjustments to already pretty effective player development program and the U.S. will not miss out on its new champions. The past American generation of players has just set the standard too high and it wouldn't be fair to Andy and James to not praise them for who they are today and their devotion to the U.S. tennis. 
 
Tennis Week: You won a doubles title with Federer years ago. When you played with him and against him early in his career did you believe he would develop into the champion he has become?

Max Mirnyi: I would be lying if I said yes. He was good but I didn't find him exceptional at that time. In fact one of the main reasons Roger has cut down on the doubles play with me in 2003 was that he felt it was physically difficult for him at that time to be playing both. Well, this must be the best decision he made in his life so far. Five years later and all of it at the top he seems to still have some gas left.

Tennis Week: Who are some of your favorite players to play against and why?

Max Mirnyi: When I won a match it always meant that I was at least a little bit better that the other guy. This feeling makes you feel better every time you play whoever again rather than someone you've never beaten. The matching of styles is what — most of the time — it comes down to.

Tennis Week: I will never forget the five-setter you played vs. Guga at the 2001 Open. It was a night match and John McEnroe once told me after that match he walked into the player area and you and Guga were both riding stationary bikes after that at something like one o'clock in the morning to in a battle to prevent cramps. Do you remember that match? What tournaments are your favorites to play and what crowds are most exciting for you?

Max Mirnyi: Certainly matches like that stand out and I am lucky to have played several of those type at my favorite tournament — the U.S. Open. The fact that New York was my first port of entry to the United States, the place where I started learning English and during my one year of stay there found new friends will always be a special place for me to come back to and refresh those childhood memories.

Tennis Week: A friend of mine tells me he hit with you years and years ago in Brooklyn and said you had a two-handed backhand back then. When you look back on your journey from first playing tennis to now achieving all that you have what  has been most meaningful to you about your tennis career and life in tennis?

Max Mirnyi: I clearly remember that moment when in July of 1991 after watching Michael Stich win Wimbledon I said to myself 'His one handed backhand just looks so good and I want to hit mine just like that.' And I went to the wall at a public park in Brooklyn to make my switch. After that practice I never looked back. 
 
Tennis Week: What do you attribute your longevity as a player to? Is it desire, good technique, good genes, proper practice and training, your style of play? Why have players such as yourself, Fabrice Santoro, Jonas Bjorkman, Dominik Hrbaty and others been able to play relatively injury free and maintain success over long length of a career?

IMax Mirnyi: It's all individual, I can't speak for other players but in my case I definitely owe it to my parents. Starting with the great genes and following up on it by raising me in the most difficult period of time, during the break up of the Soviet Union yet managing to keep the perspective right and giving me the chance to believe it was an important, fundamental step to my life. Surely, with the support of many other people later in life, like my first teacher at school, my first tennis coach, a bit later and at the very crucial moment Nick Bollettieri, who basically took over some parental responsibilities and taught me the game. Each one of those people, in a different way, tried to instill in me proper human qualities which don't allow me to take anything for granted and make every day count. I am very fortunate to have had the right people around me along the way to help me be the Max Mirnyi you know today.