 Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 30 Dec 2003 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 30 Dec 2003 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 30 Dec 2003 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 30 Dec 2003 | | |
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| 20 Dec 2003 - Crandon Park, Florida, USA - Tim Curry | |
| Boys' and Girls' 18s Finals Set for 57th Orange Bowl International |
Key Biscayne, Fla. – What a difference a year makes.
Marcos Baghdatis and Gael Monfils were the Nos. 1 seeds at the 2002 Orange Bowl International Championships in the boys’ 18s and 16s events, respectively. Baghdatis lost to eventual champion Brian Baker in the semifinals. Monfils lost in the 16s final.
This year, Baghdatis returned to the Tennis Center at Crandon Park as the top seed again with a chance of securing the year-end No. 1 ranking. Monfils, playing his first year of 18-and-under competition, was unseeded. On Sunday, one of the two players will take home the large Waterford crystal trophy filled with oranges and become Baker’s successor.
In the semifinals, Bagdhatis survived a scare from Josselin Ouanna, 4-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2, while Monfils overcame a slow start before outclassing local favorite Brendan Evans, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1.
“I did not get a good start and he was playing well in the first set,” said Monfils. “He took a tumble at 2-1 in the second set and things seemed to go my way after that. I very much wanted to win the match and play for the title.”
In the girls’ event, unseeded Neha Uberoi became the first American to reach the final since Luanne Spadea won the title in 1989. Uberoi, 17, took a leave of absence from Princeton University after her freshman year this spring and turned professional in the fall. Ranked among the Top 450 on the WTA Tour, Uberoi needed a wild card from the USTA to enter the main draw since this is just her second junior tournament of the year. She advanced when Delia Sescioreanu retired in their semifinal match trailing, 6-0, 3-0, and will face Nicole Vaidisova in the final.
“I’m very happy to be in the final,” said Uberoi, who ended Michaella Krajicek’s bid to end the year ranked No. 1 in the second round. “I thought I had a chance to win before I came here, but to be playing for the bowl of oranges is exciting.”
Vaidisova reached her first Grade A final by avenging a loss to Monica Niculescu from last week's qaurterfinal.
Baghdatis entered this year’s event in a heated race to finish as 2003 ITF World Junior Champions with No.2 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. American Ryan Rowe upset Tsonga in first round and Tsonga’s early departure gave the title to Baghdatis before he even played a match.
“I thought I could do well here because I have been playing very well, but once Tsonga lost, I knew I had a good chance on reaching the final,” said Monfils, who was in the same half of the draw as Tsonga.
In the 16-and-under events, Americans swept the singles titles for the first time since 1980. Donald Young, Jr., of Chicago became the first African-American to win a singles title in the 57-year history of the Orange Bowl International Championships, outlasting Aljoscho Thron of Germany, 3-6,6-3, 6-2, in the boys’ final. Another American 14-year-old, Alexa Glatch, defeated Venezuela’s Laura Vallverdu in the girls’ final.
“This is the best tournament I won,” said Young, the first American since Jim Courier to win the Orange Bowl 16s. “Les Petits As was first until I won this tournament. It’s great. I’ve always wanted to win this tournament. It’s like the best tournament. The best people in the world come to play this tournament.”
Young has already won two titles on the ITF World Junior Circuit for players age 18-and-younger and reached the final of a third event this year. He plans on playing more 18-and-under events in 2004 and testing his talents against professionals at USTA Pro Circuit Futures and Challengers.
“I want to be No. 1 in the world. That’s what I’ve always wanted to be since I was 3 when I saw Sampras and McEnroe and Agassi,” said Young.
Glatch was runner-up in three ITF 18s event this year and is ranked in the Top 50 of the USTA Girls’ 18s. She is the second American to win the girls’ 16s title at this event in the past three years.
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