 Photographer: None / Not Applicable
Date: 23 May 2006 |  Photographer: Paul Zimmer
Date: 09 Aug 2005 |  Photographer: None / Not Applicable
Date: 14 Mar 2006 |  Photographer: Francesco Panunzio
Date: 23 May 2006 |  Photographer: Francesco Panunzio
Date: 23 May 2006 |  Photographer: Francesco Panunzio
Date: 23 May 2006 |
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| 23 May 2006 - Helen McFetridge | |
| De Bakker shocked in Italian Open first round |
Top seed and heavy pre-tournament favourite Thiemo de Bakker was knocked out on the first day of the Italian Open, a 63 62 loser to Dylan Sessagesimi of Switzerland. 16-year-old Sessagesimi won two tournaments at the end of last year, but his 2006 has been largely unsuccessful up to now with just three matches won in eight tournaments played. It looks as though the Swiss could be coming into form at just the right time. For de Bakker, who brought an incredible 26-1 record in 2006 with him to Milan, this defeat is a shock from which he will have to recover quickly as he goes after his first Grand Slam title in Paris.
Second seed in the boys’ event, Nicolas Santos of Brazil, was made to struggle by fellow South American Roberto Maytin (VEN), eventually coming through 86 in the third set. Several seeds did not manage to make it through to round two, among them fifth seeded Romanian Petre-Alexandre Luncanu, a 63 06 75 loser to Colombia’s Alejandro Gonzalez. Other seeds to fall included number seven Sho Aida (JPN), who went down in straight sets to Ricardo Urzua of Chile, and number 14 Pavel Chekhov (RUS). Chekhov scored one of the best wins of his career in Milan last year when he defeated Donald Young in the first round, but this year the tables were turned as he was upset by 15-year-old Jonathan Eysseric of France. Eysseric has reached three clay court finals this year on the ITF junior circuit, including two Grade 1s, and he could well benefit from the removal of de Bakker from the top section of the draw.
The girls’ event was slightly less eventful, with most of the favourites making it through the first round. Top seeded Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova was tested more than she might have expected by Italian wild card Claudia Giovine, ranked outside the top 1000 in the world, but came through 63 75. Second seed Raluca Olaru (ROM) had no problems at all in disposing with lucky loser Kim Alice Grajdek of Germany 60 61, while her compatriot Sorana Cirstea, seeded four, had a straight sets win over Italy’s Roxana Vaideanu.
The girls’ singles did lose its number three seed, Julia Cohen of the USA, who was defeated 46 62 63 by Slovakia’s Klaudia Malenovska. Number five Kristina Kucova (SVK) also went out in a surprisingly emphatic 62 60 loss to Belorussian Ksenia Milevskaya. 15-year-old Milevskaya has not played much on the ITF junior circuit, but she has already won five tournaments including the Grade 1 USTA International Spring Championships earlier this year. She could definitely spring another upset or two before the tournament is over, although she herself will be the favourite in round two when she takes on 14-year-old Italian wild card Camila Giorgi.
Other seeds to fall yesterday were number eleven Marrit Boonstra (NED), who was forced to retire after losing the first seven games to Mexico’s Valeria Pulido Velasco, and fifteenth seed Amina Rakhim (KAZ), who was a three-set loser to Natalia Orlova of Russia.
Daily reports will be available at www.itftennis.com/juniors. For other reports and drawsheets from the Italian Open 2006, please click here.
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