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| 27 Feb 2003 | |
| Banana Bowl Bonanza - Preview |
Players heading for the 2003 Banana Bowl in Brazil will be hoping to have a fruitful week with lots of ranking points on offer. Past winners in Brazil have included Andy Roddick and Gustavo Kuerten, players who a few years down the line have gone on to make their mark on the world stage.
Following in the footsteps of Roddick would be quite an achievement for any player and the top two Americans in the draw, Chris Kwon and Jarrett Chirico will doubtless be doing their best to do just that.
Kwon picked up the first Grade A of the year at the Yucatan Cup but subsequently slipped up at the Australian Open where, seeded 3, he lost in the first round to qualifier Dejan Cvetkovic (CAN) 63 62. The American will be attempting to get back to winning ways in Brazil, as will his compatriot Chirico who fell in the second round in Australia. Getting back to clay, which Chirico lists as his favourite surface, may help the Nick Bollettieri student make the breakthrough that he has been looking for at the top level.
Although only sixteen years old Jose Luis Muguruza is big news at home on the tiny island of Aruba. He won the U16 title at the Orange Bowl in December 2002, having previously reached the final of the Grade 1 USTA Winter Championships. In 2002, aged 15, he won one ITF title and reached five finals. A victory at the Banana Bowl could be just the stepping stone the Aruban needs to move on from being runner up to World Champion contender.
Although Brits are not traditionally known for their love of clay, David Brewer from Scotland has achieved his best results on the red stuff. A Grade 2 title in Italy in 2002 before reaching the last 16 at Roland Garros shows that Brewer knows how to slide his way to victory.
A preview wouldn't be complete without talking about a South American player, most of whom practically took their first steps on a clay court. Jorge Aguilar, from Santiago, Chile, could be the biggest threat for the Banana Bowl title. The Chilean, who led his team to victory in emphatic style in the 2001 World Youth Cup in Chile, has proved that he is on top form by picking up an ITF junior title on home soil last week, he now has to prove he can win without a home crowd to cheer him on.
Top seed in the girl's draw this year is Canada's Beier Ko. The Florida based Canadian has started 2003 well, reaching her first Grade A final at the Yucatan Cup and going on to post her best performance at a Grand Slam by reaching the quarterfinals at the Australian Open. Starting as the top seed this week may give the diminutive Ko the confidence boost she needs to make the step up from runner up to Grade A champion.
Vojislava Lukic from Yugoslavia is the current in-form player on the South American circuit. She has picked up the last three titles on offer in Paraguay, Chile, and last week's Argentina Bowl which has pushed up her ranking from No.502 at the beginning of February to her current position in the top 50.
Thirteen year old Julia Cohen from the United States could also be a strong contender for the title. Although one of the youngest players in the draw, she has already collected two Grade 2 titles in South America and lists clay as her favourite surface. She will also be able to pick up some valuable tips from her coach Victor Pecci, a strong clay courter, who was defeated in the 1979 Roland Garros final by Bjorn Borg.
Brazil's Larissa Carvalho will attempt to emulate her idol Gustavo Kuerten by winning on home soil. Kuerten picked up the title in 1992 aged 15 and of course went on to dominate the professional circuit on clay, winning the Roland Garros title three times. Carvalho may not be expecting to emulate all Guga's achievements, but the Banana Bowl title could be a great confidence boost in her last year in juniors.
The above are just a few of the young players who will be hoping to collect the fruits of their labours at the 2003 Banana Bowl. Daily reports of all the action will be available at www.itfjuniors.com.
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