 Photographer: Paul Zimmer
Date: 30 Sep 2004 |  Photographer: None / Not Applicable
Date: 14 Oct 2004 |  Photographer: Giorgio Maiozzi
Date: 27 Sep 2003 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 27 Jan 2005 |  Photographer: None / Not Applicable
Date: 30 Jan 2004 | |
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| 10 Mar 2005 - ITF - James Harrisson | |
| 35th Banana Bowl – Preview. |
Players from 36 countries worldwide will meet in Sao Paolo, Brazil next week to compete in the 35th Banana Bowl, the first ITF Grade A tournament since the Australian Open in January.
The clay courts of the Clube de Campo Sta Rita in Sao Paolo will play host to some of the top ITF Junior players when the competition gets underway on the 14th March. Amongst the players to have taken the title at the Brazilian tournament during its 35-year history are John McEnroe, Yannick Noah, Ivan Lendl, Gustavo Kuerten and, most recently, Andy Roddick in 2000. Competitors in this year’s competition will, no doubt, have aspirations of emulating the careers of these sporting greats.
In the boys’ competition Dusan Lojda of the Czech Republic, with an ITF Junior Ranking of 13, will start as favourite to take his first career Grade A title, having lifted two trophies in 2004 and reaching the last 16 in Australia. However, playing on home soil, Brazilians Andre Miele and Raony Carvalho, the country’s top two Junior players, must also fancy their chances. Carvalho defeated Miele in a very close fought final in Bolivia last month and both players will be hoping to put in some good performances in front of their home crowd. Perhaps the biggest threat to Lodja, however, will be German Alojscha Thron, who won a Grade 1 tournament in the Czech Republic last month and has risen 60 ranking places in the last six months.
The favourite in this year’s girls’ competition is Dominica Cibulkova from the Slovak Republic. Currently ranked 9, Cibulkova reached the last 16 in the junior Australian Open as well as the finals of Grade A tournaments in Japan and Mexico in 2004. Also in contention will be Bibiane Schoofs of the Netherlands, who recently won her first career title in Ecuador. Also on top form at the moment is Italian Giulia Gabba, who will be looking to win her third consecutive tournament, after lifting the trophies in Grade 1 events in Venezuela and Colombia earlier this year.
There is, however, a noticeable lack of Grade A titles amongst the competitors in both draws. Of the top seeds, only Cibulkova has ever advanced beyond the quarterfinals of a top-level tournament. With this in mind the stage is set for an enthralling competition, which could see valuable ranking points awarded and significant changes in the ITF Junior rankings.
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