 Photographer: Ron Angle
Date: 29 Jan 2006 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 08 Jun 2006 |  Photographer: Francesco Panunzio
Date: 30 May 2006 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 06 Sep 2005 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 06 Jul 2006 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 12 Apr 2005 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 03 Jul 2006 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 02 Jun 2005 |
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| 31 Aug 2006 - ITF - James Harrisson | |
| US Open Junior Preview |
Next week will see the top junior players from around the world congregate in New York to contest the Junior US Open, the final Grand Slam event of 2006. Highest ranked are Martin Klizan and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova will be hoping to add a second Slam to the victories they recorded at the French and Australian Opens respectively.
Pavlyuchenkova shot to prominence on the ITF Junior Circuit in January when she won three consecutive events, including the Australian Open, and was catapulted to the top of the rankings. She then reached the final at Roland Garros where she was beaten by Poland’s rising star Agnieszka Radwanska. A first round exit at Wimbledon cost her valuable ranking points and she will be looking to put in a strong performance next week to cement her position at the top of the rankings and make her favourite to be crowned Junior World Champion at the end of the year. Pavlyuchenkova is also looking to become the first player ever to complete the Grand Slam in doubles, having been crowned champion in Melbourne, Paris and London.
Reigning French Open champion and winner at Wimbledon in 2005 Agnieszka Radwanska, the world No. 3 has competed only sparingly in junior events this year, instead concentrating on her professional career, which has see her rise to a career best of 127 in the WTA rankings. In what will surely be her last Junior Slam she will need a strong performance to put her in a position to challenge for year-end No.1.
Wimbledon Champion Caroline Wozniacki will be amongst the seeds and is the only other player in the girls’ draw to have lifted one of junior tennis’ most illustrious trophies. The Dane lost to Pavlyuchenkova in the final of the Australian Open and this final Slam is only her fourth Junior event of the year. Wozniacki will be looking to improve upon her disappointing first round exit at last year’s event and make an impact in front of the Flushing Meadows crowds.
Japan’s Ayumi Morita has performed consistently in junior competitions this year but claimed her only title at the Asian Closed Championships in April. Morita has also put in some strong performances in professional event and has recently achieved a ranking inside the world’s top 250, which will justify a seeding. Other seeds in the girls’ draw are likely to be Romania’s Mihaela Buzarnescu, Kristina Antoniychuk of the Ukraine, American Julia Cohen and Dominika Cibulkova from the Slovak Republic.
The Slovak Republic’s Martin Klizan heads the field in the boys’ event. The Roland Garros champion is the only boy in the draw to have won a junior Grand Slam, since Alexandre Sidorenko (Australian Open) and Thiemo de Bakker (Wimbledon) chose not to enter. Klizan was eliminated from Wimbledon in the opening round but lifting the trophy next week would make him firm favourite to end the year with the No. 1 ranking.
Jonathan Eysseric of France began the year ranked 384 but several strong clay court performances first on South America’s COSAT circuit, then on the European Summer circuit have moved him up to No. 3 in the world. Aged just sixteen, Eysseric is one of the youngest boys in the draw and playing in only his second Grand Slam after losing in the second round at Roland Garros. However, his ability to rise to the occasion and his confidence that he can beat anyone on the circuit will make him a strong favourite to progress to the latter stages.
Brazilian Nicolas Santos is the top ranked South American in the boys’ draw. Santos won the majority of his ranking points earlier this year by winning three tournaments in South America, beating Eysseric in the final of the Grade 1 Asunción Bowl in Paraguay. However, he experienced mixed fortunes on the European summer circuit and has failed to win a match both of his previous junior Grand Slam appearances. Winning the Vila do Conde Cup in Portugal last month will have given Santos confidence and he may be coming into some form at this crucial stage of the calendar.
Reigning World Junior Champion Donald Young from the USA will be seeded in New York. Since finishing 2005 at the top of the rankings Young has played only three junior events, winning the Easter Bowl on home soil in April and losing in the third round at both Roland Garros and at Wimbledon. Although his ranking has dipped to No. 6, the lowest since December 2004, Young has already proved himself on the big stage and will be a real threat playing in front of his home crowd.
Kei Nishikori (JPN), Sanam Singh (IND), Petru-Alexandru Luncanu (ROM) and Artur Chernov (RUS) are likely to make up the rest of the seeds in the boys’ draw.
Up to date acceptance lists can be found at:
US Open Acceptance Lists USTA.COM
US Open Acceptance Lists USOPEN.ORG
For daily reports from the Junior US Open visit www.itftennis.com/juniors.
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