 Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 12 Oct 2005 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 12 Oct 2005 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 12 Oct 2005 | | | |
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| 13 Oct 2005 - Helen McFetridge | |
| Top seeds all through in Osaka |
It was business as usual today for the top seeds in the Osaka Mayor’s Cup in Japan, with the favourites in both the boys’ and girls’ events sailing through to the quarter-finals.
From the moment the draw was announced, junior tennis fans will have been eagerly anticipating the prospect of a final between world number 3 and Wimbledon champion Jérémy Chardy of France, and the Croatian Roland Garros champion Marin Cilic, ranked 5. Both continued their smooth progression through the draw, Chardy winning 61 64 against Genki Tomita and Cilic coming through 75 60 against Dylan Sessagesimi, having earlier in the day dismissed Tadaycki Longhi 60 61. In the quarters, Cilic will take on Australian 5th seed James Lemke, while Chardy faces the only unseeded player left in the draw, Japan’s Yuuichi Sugita. Sugita followed up his win over 8th seed Alberto Gonzalez with another impressive victory, this time in three sets over 10th seeded Czech Jiri Kosler. The 17-year-old was a quarter-finalist here last year, and will be hoping he can go one better when he faces Chardy tomorrow.
Although Chardy and Cilic are firm favourites to reach the final on Sunday, the other quarter-finalists will be trying to create a shock tomorrow. Third seed Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan is still in the running, although he had some nervous moments before finding his form in the third set to defeat Xiao-Peng Lao 46 76(4) 60. He next plays Japanese 15-year-old Kei Nishikori, who has been hitting top form this week. The 9th seed has dropped just 8 games in his three matches so far, and may well fancy his chances against Nedunchezhiyan. His fellow Japanese Sho Aida, the 6th seed, is also still in the hunt after beating Martin Kamenik 75 63 to set up a clash with American 16th seed Jason Jung, who accounted for 4th seed Hsin-Han Lee in the last 16. Jung won the Grade 2 China Junior Open last month, so he is in good form and will be hoping to continue his winning streak.
In the girls’ singles, it looks like the rest of the field will have a tough time stopping top seed and world number one Viktoria Azarenka. Azarenka swept past 15th seed Maya Gaverova 62 62, to bring her total number of games lost to six in three matches. Several of the other top girls have also been in dominant form in the tournament, with 2nd seed Caroline Wozniacki, 3rd seed Raluca Olaru and local favourite Ayumi Morita, seeded 4, all winning easily today. Wozniacki, the defending champion, will not want to let her title go without a fight. She has an excellent record in Japan, winning the Grade 1 Japan Open Junior Championships earlier this year. Morita too has a good record in front of her home fans, losing in the Japan Open final to Wozniacki, and she will be keen to go all the way in this event. And Olaru, who has already beaten Morita twice this year, can’t be counted out either.
Eight of the top nine seeds have made it through to the girls’ quarters, with the only upset in the last 16 coming when 12th seed Ellen Barry knocked out number 6 Ling Zhang 64 64. Barry next faces Morita, with Azarenka to play 9th seed Erika Sema, Wozniacki taking on 5th seed Maria Mosolova and Olaru up against 8th seed Wing-Yau Venise Chan.
In doubles action, the top seeded boys’ pair of Chardy and Cilic is still going strong, easing their way into the quarter finals without dropping a set. In the girls’ event, top seeds Wozniacki and Olaru were stunned by Japanese pair Akari Inoue and Yurina Koshino, 60 26 76(3). Their defeat leaves as favourites another Japanese pair, Morita and Sema, who were straightforward 62 63 winners over Takako Matsushige and Yumi Nakano.
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