 Photographer: Francesco Panunzio
Date: 30 May 2006 |  Photographer: Francesco Panunzio
Date: 30 May 2006 |  Photographer: Francesco Panunzio
Date: 30 May 2006 |  Photographer: Francesco Panunzio
Date: 30 May 2006 |  Photographer: Francesco Panunzio
Date: 30 May 2006 |  Photographer: Francesco Panunzio
Date: 30 May 2006 |
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| 30 May 2006 - Faye Andrews | |
| Eysseric and Olaru triumph in Milan |
France’s Jonathan Eysseric and Romania’s Raluca-Ioana Olaru took centre stage in Milan with victory in the boys’ and girls’ singles at the Italian Junior Open in Milan.
The boys’ singles draw was decimated early in the week, only four seeds made it through to the third round. Pre tournament favourite and top seed, Thiemo de Bakker (NED) succumbed in the first round to Dylan Sessagesmi (SUI), leaving the top half of the draw wide open. In the bottom half No.2 seed Nicolas Santos (BRA) looked like he might take advantage of de Bakker’s demise, making it through to the quarterfinals. However Japan’s Kei Nishikori put an end to the second seeds hopes 61 63.
Eysseric had to fight hard for his first Grade A victory, following a tough third round win over Sessagesmi 67(6) 76(2) 62, the French boy then battled pas Luka Belic (CRO) in the semifinals 76(4) 57 97 before meeting Nishikori in the final.
In the final Eysseric made a great start taking the first set 61. Nishikori upped his game in the second set but was unable to stop the French boy wrapping up the match 64 in perfect preparation for his home Grand Slam, Roland Garros.
The girls’ draw provided fewer surprises than the boys’ but did give a good indication of player’s form going into Roland Garros. Top seed Pavlyuchenkova looked on course for another victory, easing through the early rounds, but was stopped in the semis by No.4 seed Sorana Mihaela Cirstea from Romanian. No.2 Olaru made it an all Romanian final, en route overcoming Khystyna Antoniychuk (UKR) in a three set battle in the quarterfinal 63 57 63 before dashing home hopes of victory by squeezing past Corinna Dentoni (ITA) 57 64 64.
In the all-Romanian final both girls gave it their all, Olaru taking the first set 62 before Cirstea levelled with the second set 63. Without either player prepared to give an inch it could have been Olaru’s experience on the big occasions, she was last year’s Roland Garros runner-up, which saw her through to victory 86 in the third. Olaru will be hoping to be able to repeat this victory in Paris, in order to erase memories of last years defeat.
Cirstea gained some revenge in the doubles, alongside partner Alexandra Panova (RUS) she defeated Olaru and partner Amina Rakhim (KAZ) in the final 75 64. The boys’ doubles was won by Roman Jebavy (CZE) and Hans Podlipnik Castillo (CHI), who defeated Americans Jamie Hunt and Nathanial Schnugg in the final 63 26 64.
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