 Photographer: None / Not Applicable
Date: 04 Feb 2004 |  Photographer: Francesco Panunzio
Date: 23 May 2003 | | | | |
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| 21 Mar 2004 | |
| Kleybanova One Match Away |
Alisa Kleybanova, the top seed, is just one match away from successfully defending her Banana Bowl title after a 64 63 victory over compatriot Irina Kotkina in yesterday’s semifinals. This was the second time that the two players had met but it never seemed likely that Kotkina would reverse the result of their first meeting.
Third seed Agnes Szavay clinched the remaining final spot when she recovered to beat another Russian, Regina Kulikova, 67(3) 61 63. The Hungarian finally asserted her game and qualified for her first Grade A final. Kleybanova beat Szavay in their only previous meeting on the Circuit last summer.
Kulikova and Kotkina have enjoyed a successful week, however and will be rewarded with a significant rise in the ITF Junior Rankings. Kotkina also teamed up with Kleybanova to win the girls’ doubles title, their second title together, with a 61 61 defeat of Slovak pairing Jana Juricova and Magdalena Rybarikova.
Both boys’ singles were hotly-contested, tough three-set battles. Pablo Andujar-Alba, of Spain, seeded four will take on top seed, Eduardo Schwank, of Argentina for the title today after both finally subdued their opponents.
Andujar-Alba qualified for his second Grade A final in a row, he lost in the final of the Copa Casablanca in January, with a 76(7) 57 62 win over fifth seed, Juan Pablo Amado, of Argentina. This marked the second year that Amado had reached the semifinals but he was unable to clinch a spot in the final against his teammate.
Schwank secured his 28th win in 29 matches and his fifth consecutive appearance in a final by edging the tightest semifinal. Rafael Arevalo Gonzalez, of El Salvador took the first set but the Argentine player fought back to record a 46 75 76(2) success over the third seed.
Schwank goes into his first Grade A final knowing that he has already pushed his ranking into the top three whereas Andujar-Alba has the opportunity to secure a top ten ranking with victory in the final.
Peter Miklusicak and fellow Slovak, Lukas Lacko, defeated Arevalo-Gonzalez and USA’s Vahid Mirzadeh 61 61 to win the boys’ doubles title. The pair won their first doubles title together in 2002 and while Miklusicak has gone on to won another eleven titles inbetween, this is only the second for Lacko.
Related Articles
> Banana Bowl Semifinalists Decided
> Banana Bowl Day 3 Round Up
> Lacko Ousted in Round Two
> 34th Banana Bowl Gets Underway
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