 Photographer: Paul Zimmer
Date: 01 Feb 2004 |  Photographer: Francesco Panunzio
Date: 24 May 2004 |  Photographer: Francesco Panunzio
Date: 24 May 2004 |  Photographer: Paul Zimmer
Date: 26 Jan 2004 |  Photographer: Giorgio Maiozzi
Date: 27 May 2004 |  Photographer: Francesco Panunzio
Date: 23 May 2004 |
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| 27 May 2004 - ITF - Neil Robinson | |
| Monfils and Peer Look For Further Rewards in Paris |
The French Open Junior Championships get underway on Sunday at Roland Garros with France's Gael Monfils and Israel's Shahar Peer hoping to add to their Australian Junior titles.
France has high hopes that Monfils can dominate as he did in Melbourne and regain the boys’ trophy for France. Both Monfils, current world No.1 and compatriot Josselin Ouanna, whom he defeated in the Australian final, have been absent from the ITF Junior Circuit whilst trying to secure a foothold on the professional circuit. Both return, keen to excel, in their home event.
Sebastian Rieschick, of Germany and Eduardo Schwank, of Argentina, currently ranked just behind Monfils in the latest ITF Junior Rankings, are also eagerly eyeing Grand Slam success. Rieschick, who has yet to progress beyond the last sixteen of a junior Grand Slam, demonstrated a welcome return to form to capture the Italian Junior title and if he maintains that, should progress to the latter stages. Schwank is making not only his Grand Slam debut but his first tournament outside South America, where he won five out of six tournaments earlier this year, including the Banana Bowl. If he can reproduce that kind of form, he will be another contender.
The dark horse among the boy’s field could be Spain’s Marcel Granollers. The Spaniard played a key role in the winning Junior Davis Cup (2002) and European Summer Cup (2003) teams but has restricted himself to futures and satellite events individually and therefore is making his debut on the ITF Junior Circuit. He has a similar ATP ranking to Monfils and Ouanna and must merit respect.
Israel’s Shahar Peer returns to the junior circuit after making her breakthrough in Melbourne. A quarterfinalist at Roland Garros last year, she has demonstrated that she has the ability to play on clay and on the big occasion. Sesil Karatancheva has emerged as probably the biggest threat over the intervening months. After capturing the Italian Junior title the Bulgarian has now won five of her last seven junior events. The 14-year-old phenomenon is playing in only her second junior Grand Slam event and appears to be maintaining the form that has gained her a professional ranking inside the top 200. Form which could easily see her pick up another title.
Another player with a professional ranking inside the top 200, Jarmila Gajdosova, returns for her ninth attempt at a junior Grand Slam. Having been three times a junior Grand Slam semifinalist, although never at Roland-Garros, she is another contender for the girls’ title. Michaella Krajicek, of the Netherlands, reached the semifinals here last year, but to emulate that feat, she will have to put some recent indifferent form, by her very high standards, behind her.
You can keep up to date with all the latest results, live reports and photos from Roland-Garros throughout the week here.
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