 Photographer: Ron Angle
Date: 25 Jan 2006 |  Photographer: Ron Angle
Date: 25 Jan 2006 |  Photographer: Ron Angle
Date: 25 Jan 2006 |  Photographer: Ron Angle
Date: 25 Jan 2006 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 14 Oct 2005 |  Photographer: Ron Angle
Date: 25 Jan 2006 |  Photographer: Ron Angle
Date: 25 Jan 2006 |  Photographer: Ron Angle
Date: 24 Jan 2006 |  Photographer: Ron Angle
Date: 24 Jan 2006 |  Photographer: Ron Angle
Date: 23 Jan 2006 |  Photographer: Ron Angle
Date: 24 Jan 2006 |  Photographer: Ron Angle
Date: 25 Jan 2006 |
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| 25 Jan 2006 - Melbourne Park - Eleanor Preston | |
| Chekhov’s Play Too Good For De Bakker |
Russia’s Pavel Chekhov sent shockwaves through the junior competition at the Australian Open on Wednesday with a 36 75 63 upset win over the tournament’s in-form top seed Thiemo De Bakker of the Netherlands.
De Bakker won his first three tournaments of the season and was on a 20-match winning streak before running into Chekhov in the third round, but that early success may have taken its toll on the 17-year-old’s body. He appeared to struggle in the hot, dry conditions on court and required treatment for cramp in the third set against the Russian.
“He’s a very good player, he won a lot lately and he’s been playing well, with good tennis and good tactics but right now I think he is tired,” said Chekhov, who is seeded 16th. “I played a good match today but it was very tough. I am 17 now and I am the right age to do well at these events. I need to start playing well.”
Chekhov will be hoping that this junior grand slam ends more happily than his last, the US Open, which had barely finished last September when he was hospitalised with an appendicitis. It was removed in an emergency operation in the Russian seaside resort of Sochi, which also happens to be the home town of both Maria Sharapova and the now retired former World No.1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov.
“I didn’t play for two months afterwards. It was pretty scary. After the US Open I left to take a holiday. On the day I was taking my flight to Sochi from Moscow I felt really bad and I had to go to hospital,” said Chekhov, before showing off the lurid purple appendectomy scar he now has. “I couldn’t do any exercise on my stomach for a long time, and so I haven’t been able to serve as well as I can, but it’s getting better. Right now I’m ready to start playing well again.”
Chekhov is based at the Bollettieri Academy in Bradenton, Florida, the place which spawned Andre Agassi, Maria Sharapova and Tommy Haas, amongst others. “I spend my winter there, it’s a good place to train,” said Chekhov, who will head Stateside again once he has finished in Melbourne.
Chekhov’s win over De Bakker wasn’t Wednesday’s only upset. Fourth seed Dusan Lojda of the Czech Republic was also knocked out of the tournament, losing 62 64 to Japan’s Kei Nishikori. Alexandre Sidorenko of France who, coincidentally, is a good friend of Chekhov’s, scored the day’s third surprise by beating eighth seed Ivan Sergeyev of Ukraine.
The girls’ competition wasn’t immune to shocks either. Tamira Paszek of Austria was much too strong for Sorana-Mihaela Cirstea of Romania, beating the seventh seed 61 61. Elsewhere, top seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark avoided any spills with another commanding performance. After making short work of Great Britain’s Jade Curtis yesterday, Wozniacki stood up to the taller task of beating 16th seed Timea Bacsinszky, easing past the Swiss with a 62 64 win.
"I'm getting better with every match," said Wozniacki. "I feel like I'm taking little steps."
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