 Photographer: None / Not Applicable
Date: 03 Jan 2007 |  Photographer: None / Not Applicable
Date: 03 Jan 2007 |  Photographer: None / Not Applicable
Date: 03 Jan 2007 |  Photographer: None / Not Applicable
Date: 03 Jan 2007 |  Photographer: None / Not Applicable
Date: 03 Jan 2007 |  Photographer: None / Not Applicable
Date: 03 Jan 2007 |  Photographer: None / Not Applicable
Date: 03 Jan 2007 |
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| 03 Jan 2007 - ITF - James Harrisson | |
| Cohen Claims Third Casablanca Crown |
Cohen, who has claimed a total of six titles since first appearing on the ITF Junior Circuit in August 2001, has now reached a career-high ranking of six, having spend much of last year inside the top ten.
The top seed cruised along the top of the draw with the ease and finesse of a player who had done it twice before and reached the semifinal stage without dropping a set. In the past, Cohen has been known to stumble when faced with the tougher challenges presented by fellow top-ranked players, but not on this occasion. Fifth-seeded Russian Elena Chernyakova managed to win just one game against the dominant American, sending Cohen through to the final with a 60 61 victory.
In the bottom half of the draw sterner tests awaited the defending champion. Second seed Ksenia Pervak, who won the Grade 1 Yucatan Cup earlier in December and had not dropped a set in her previous ten matches, faced fourth seeded Mexican Valeria-Pulido-Velasco in the second semifinal. The first two sets were shared but it was the Russian who took advantage of a break of serve in the deciding set to extend her winning run to eleven and give herself the change to win a first Grade A title.
In the final, however, Cohen’s experience gave her the edge. Pervak managed to win just three games in a one-sided contest, giving Cohen a 61 62 victory.
Cohen then teamed up with Pulido-Velasco in the final of the doubles competition where they beat, Pervak and Chernyakova in a thrilling three set match, which ended 26 76(5) 64.
In stark contrast to the girls’ event, the boys’ singles competition was won by a player who had not won a match on the ITF Junior Circuit in over a year and entered the tournament as a wild card ranked 1637 in the world. Eduardo Peralta-Tello (MEX) reached the final of two tournaments in the summer of 2005 but travelled to the Casablanca Cup following an 11-month absence from the circuit.
The Mexican defeated eight seed Gonzalo Escobar (ECU) 63 64 in round one and scraped past eleventh seed Alin Mihai Constantin (ROM) 61 46 64 in round three. He reached the semifinal by virtue of the retirement of his opponent Nikita Zotov (RUS), then beat unseeded Brazilian Henrique Cunha 76(4) 64 to give him a shot at his first title.
With most of the top seeded players having been eliminated in or before the quarterfinal stage, the scene was set for a new star to make his mark. American Johnny Hamui, the highest seeded player remaining at six, faced Moldovan tenth seed Radu Albot for a spot in the final, with the winner a sure favourite to lift the trophy. Albot had easily beaten top seed Jonathan Eysseric (FRA) in his quarterfinal and many felt that this good form would be enough to send him all the way to the title. However, having gone a set behind, Hamui showed great character to fight back and beat the Moldovan in three sets, 36 63 64.
Despite being ranked 1582 places lower than Hamui, Peralta-Tello competed with the confidence of a player in-form. With the home crowd on his side, the underdog dominated throughout the match, which he won 61 62 to claim his first title on the ITF Junior Circuit.
In the boys’ doubles event Eysseric and American Kellen Damico joined forces and claimed the title with a 61 64 victory over Alejandro Gonzalez (COL) and Fernando Romboli (BRA).
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