 Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 08 Jul 2007 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 10 Jun 2007 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 04 Jun 2007 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 05 Sep 2007 |  Photographer: None / Not Applicable
Date: 03 Jan 2007 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 05 Sep 2007 |
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| 29 Nov 2007 - Helen McFetridge | |
| World number ones head for Orange Bowl |
A world-class field will assemble at Crandon Park Tennis Center, Florida next week for the 61st edition of the Orange Bowl, the last Grade A event of the year. With nine of the top twenty boys and ten of the top twenty girls, including world number ones Uladzmir Ignatik (BLR) and Urszula Radwanska (POL), the tournament promises to end the 2007 season in style.
Ignatik will be looking to crown his year with a third Grade A title, after the Copa Gerdau and Roland Garros. The Belarussian has had a consistent year, having reached at least the quarter-finals in all five Grade A events he has played this year. His nearest rival should be world number two Ricardas Berankis (LTU), who had been on a 12-match winning streak which took in the Canadian and US Opens before his shock defeat to Chase Buchanan in the second round at the Eddie Herr this week. Berankis will be hoping to put that defeat behind him and get back to winning ways.
Third and fourth seeds Roman Jebavy (CZE) and Ricardo Urzua Rivera (CHI) also had surprisingly early defeats at the Eddie Herr. Both are in their final year of juniors so will want to end their junior careers on a high note with what would be the first Grade A title for each of them. Of the two Jebavy would seem to have the better chance, as Urzua Rivera is in the midst of a bad patch that has seen him win just three matches in six junior tournaments since Wimbledon.
American hopes rest mainly with Rhyne Williams, who has briefly ranked in the top 10 earlier in the year, and Ryan Harrison, winner of the last Grade A in Osaka. Aged 16 and 15 respectively, they are two of the younger players in the draw but both are certainly capable of good performances. Another American, Jarmere Jenkins, is also among the seeds. Jenkins has never won an ITF Junior Circuit tournament but he has beaten Ignatik twice in the last three months, so if he can find his best tennis he could be in contention.
In the girls’ event, last year’s winner Nikola Hofmanova (AUT) returns to defend her title. The world number four will have to be on top form, however, as standing in her way is world number one Urszula Radwanska (POL). Radwanska has played sparingly on the ITF Junior Circuit this year, having concentrated on her WTA ranking which is now in the top 250, but her 21-3 record suggests she will be hard to beat.
Ksenia Pervak (RUS) and Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) have both won Grade 1 tournaments and been runners-up in Grade As this year, so both will be looking to take the next step at the Orange Bowl.
Five American girls will be amongst the seeds, with Australian Open and Wimbledon runner-up Madison Brengle the most likely to challenge for the title. Brengle lost to Hofmanova in the semi-finals last year and will be hoping to do even better this time. Julia Cohen, ranked 11 in the world, lost to Hofmanova in the quarter-finals last year and went on a run of 16 wins in 18 matches. Since then, however, she has had little success on the circuit. In better form recently is Melanie Oudin, currently at her highest ranking of 15 and at the time of writing on an 18-match winning streak. Gail Brodsky, ranked 31, won the Grade 1 Easter Bowl earlier this year and has beaten Hofmanova and Pervak this year.
Daily results and reports from the Orange Bowl will be available on www.itftennis.com/juniors.
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