Young's losing streak reaches 17 matches

Donald Young loses his 17th straight match when he goes down to qualifier Jesse Levine, 6-4, 7-6 (2), in the first round of Cincinnati. Young hasn't won a match since Memphis in February and is now just four losses short of tying Vince Spadea’s ATP record of 21 consecutive defeats.

"It’s tough when you haven’t won matches and shots you normally make, you miss," Young told a small group of reporters. "A lot of them have been close and when I needed to play and be tough, it’s hard to draw on the confidence. The clay court season six losses didn't help. I could have played Challengers and won some matches but I wanted to do play [ATP-level] events. I’m a touchy-feely player that draws on confidence from previous matches and there’s not much to draw on. Every week you think it’s going to be different because the matches are close. [My opponents] have a sense of calm and don't have much to worry about. Maybe there would be a time they might get mad or check out, and they won't and wait for me to do it."

After a strong fall under USTA coaching, Young decided to go back to primarily being coached by his parents. He also temporarily switched racquets. Young just hired Roger Smith — who recently coached American teen Sloane Stephens — as a coach to help his parents. 

"Hindsight is always 20-20,” Young said. "The racquets I probably shouldn't have messed around with, but as far as coaching, from [2011 Washington] D.C. through the U.S. Open [where he reached the fourth round] I was with my parents and the USTA was for a few weeks after that. Now I have Roger Smith on board and hopefully it will turn around."