 Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 03 Sep 2007 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 03 Sep 2007 |  Photographer: None / Not Applicable
Date: 20 Mar 2007 |  Photographer: Francesco Panunzio
Date: 25 May 2007 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 10 Oct 2007 |  Photographer: Sergio Carmona
Date: 29 Sep 2006 |
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| 31 Dec 2007 - ITF - James Harrisson | |
| Ramirez and Raykova claim Casablanca crowns |
The 2008 ITF Junior Circuit got underway last week, with Cesar Ramirez (MEX) and Tanya Raykova (BUL) winning the first Grade A titles of the year.
Ramirez was the top ranked player in the boys’ draw, following the last minute withdrawal of top seeded Brazilian Henrique Cunha. Playing in front of his home crowd Ramirez was tested on several occasions and was taken to a third set in four out six matches en route to the title. However, the fiery Mexican showed great resolve when pushed by opposition and invariably dominated his crucial final set deciders, beating Jordan Cox (USA) 64 36 61 in round two; Juan Carlos Spir (COL) 76(4) 46 61 in round three; and seventh seed Giacomo Miccini (ITA) 67(4) 63 60 in the semifinal. A 61 61 demolition of sixth seed Marcelo Arevalo (ESA) in the quarterfinal was the Mexican’s most straightforward victory.
In the final Ramirez faced Russian fourth seed Alexei Grigorov, who had also come through some tough matches in previous rounds, most notably a 36 63 76(4) win over Michael Thompson (GBR) in round two. Ramirez took the first set 64 but, perhaps unsurprisingly, Grigorov fought his way back into the match by taking the second set 63. However, Ramirez once again hit top form at the right time and breezed through the third set with three consecutive breaks to win 60 and lift the trophy.
In 2007 Tanya Raykova won Grade 2 titles in Costa Rica and Morocco but competed infrequently in top-level events. However, the Bulgarian was third seed in Mexico and made light work of some of her earlier opponents, including a 64 63 win against Zuzana Linhova (CZE) in round three and a 61 61 quarterfinal victory over fifth seed Ioana Ivan (ROU). In her semifinal against second seeded Russian Elena Chernyakova, Raykova may have though she would have things all her own way when she raced to take the first set without dropping a game. However, Chernyakova showed some class to fight back and level the match in a second set tiebreak, forcing a decider which Raykova won by six games to three.
The Bulgarian’s final opponent was Belgian Fed Cup team member Tamaryn Hendler, the event’s top seed. Hendler won the Banana Bowl and the Yucatan Cup in 2007 and, having not dropped a set on her way to the final, was considered favourite to win her second consecutive title on Mexican soil. However, Raykova proved a tougher test for Hendler and took the first set 64 before clinching the title in a tense second set tiebreak, which she won 7-4.
Hendler was also losing finalist in the girls’ doubles, as she and her partner Ajla Tomljanovic (CRO) were beaten by the unseeded American pairing of Krista Damico and Nadja Gilchrist, 63 62. In the boys’ doubles Mexicans Alfredo Moreno and Manuel Sanchez came from behind in a nail-biting climax to their final against Americans Evan King and Raymond Sarmiento, eventually winning in a match tiebreaker 36 63 10-8.
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