 Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 16 Oct 2006 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 16 Oct 2006 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 16 Oct 2006 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 16 Oct 2006 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 16 Oct 2006 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 16 Oct 2006 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 16 Oct 2006 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 16 Oct 2006 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 16 Oct 2006 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 16 Oct 2006 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 16 Oct 2006 |
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| 16 Oct 2006 - Faye Andrews | |
| Wozniacki and Sugita claim Grade A titles in Japan |
Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) and Yuichi Sugita (JPN) were victorious in the penultimate Grade A of 2006 at the Osaka Mayors Cup in Japan.
Wozniacki, the reigning Junior Wimbledon Champion, overcame home favourite Ayumi Morita in a thrilling three set final 63 26 62 to reclaim the title that she first won in 2004. The current World No.2 ranked player was in imperious form from the outset of the tournament losing only nine games whilst progressing to the semifinal. In the semi she was given a tougher test by No.4 seed Anastasia Pivovarova (RUS) but once again came through in straight sets 63 75. Morita gave the home crowd reason to cheer throughout the event, overcoming some tough opponents en route to the final, in the semifinal she defeated No.3 seed Nikola Hofmanova from Austria 64 63. The final was the eighth meeting between the two girls, and a repeat of last year's semifinal, when Wozniacki again emerged the victor. With this year's final going to Wozniacki the head to head score is now 6-2 Wozniacki.
The head to head scoreline however does not stop the girls being firm friends, and they teamed up to take the doubles title, defeating the Russian pairing of Ksenia Lykina and Anastasia Pivovarova 76(4) 75.
Japan's unseeded Yuichi Sugita made a huge career breakthrough by taking the Grade A boys' singles title. Sugita's best previous performance had been the quarterfinal in the 2005 edition of the Osaka Mayor's Cup, so a maiden Grade A title will see the Japanese boy make a significant jump up the rankings. Sugita proved to be a giant killer from the outset of the tournament, taking out Great Britain's Danial Cox, seeded 15, in the second round, followed by No.2 seed Hsin Han Lee (TPE) in the round of 16 and No.5 seed Greg Jones (AUS) in the quarters. In the top half of the draw, the top seed Luka Belic from Croatia was taken out in the quarterfinal by Harri Heliovaara, seeded 12 from Finland, who then went on to defeat another Croatian Luca Somen in the semis to make his first Grade A final.
In the final Heliovaara took first blood with the first set going his way 63, however Sugita, with the help of an enthusiastic home crowd, managed to turn the match around winning the next two sets for the loss of only two games 36 62 60 to secure the first home win in the singles competition since 1995.
Sho Aida and Fumiaki Kita rounded off a great week for the hosts by taking the boys' doubles final defeating another Japanese team, Tutsuma Ito and Hiromasa Oku, 63 63 in the final.
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