 Photographer: Corinne Dubreuil
Date: 22 Jan 2008 |  Photographer: Corinne Dubreuil
Date: 22 Jan 2008 |  Photographer: Corinne Dubreuil
Date: 22 Jan 2008 |  Photographer: Corinne Dubreuil
Date: 22 Jan 2008 |  Photographer: Corinne Dubreuil
Date: 22 Jan 2008 |  Photographer: Corinne Dubreuil
Date: 22 Jan 2008 |
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| 22 Jan 2008 - Melbourne Park - Eleanor Preston |  Related Audio |
| Easton Promise - Day 3 Australian Open |
 An interview with Jared Easton (MP3 format)
An Interview with Jessica Moore (MP3 format)
 
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There is no doubt who was Tuesday’s Marathon Man at Melbourne Park. That description fits Australian teenager Jared Easton perfectly after he survived a bruising encounter with France’s Guillaume Rufin 63 36 86 to move through to the third round of the Australian Open juniors. Easton is one of an army of Australian juniors involved in their home grand slam but few can have worked as hard for victory.
“It was definitely a close match, even in the first two sets,” said Easton. “He was sort of getting on top of me in the third but I knew that if I could just stay tough and make him come up with the shots to win then I’d have a good chance. You have to take it point by point. You can’t really think about what’s happened or what’s going to happen. It’s about doing your best with each point.”
Easton is working with former Wimbledon semifinalist Jason Stoltenberg, who counts Lleyton Hewitt amongst his ex-pupils. Easton was full of praise for the improvements his countryman has made to his game. “Just having him there is a huge confidence boost for me. The things he’s worked on with me and said; it’s given me a big confidence on the court. I know when I’m in the court that it if gets tight then I’ve got as good a chance as anyone.”
Easton is seeded seventh in Melbourne and will now play Tsung-Hua Yang of Taipei for a place in the quarterfinals. Needless to say he harbours ambitions to emulate compatriot Brydan Klein’s feat in winning the Australian Open boys’ title and he has big plans for 2008. “Finishing in the top 10 in juniors would be really great,” he said. “That would give me a lot of opportunities with wildcards in senior events. I want to play the junior grand slams and do well in those and play some more Futures events and stuff like that. Should he win a junior grand slam then Easton would be emulating his hero, Andy Roddick, who won the 2000 junior Australian Open and the junior US Open the same year. “His presence on the court is a big thing for me, his attitude and things like that,” explained Easton. “Obviously he’s got a great game, with his serve and his forehand, but it’s the way he is on court with him and the way he imposes himself on opponents.”
Easton is having to share the limelight at Melbourne Park with fellow Australian Bernard Tomic, who joined him in the last 16 with a 62 64 win over Blaz Rola of Slovenia and thus continued the hot run of form he showed by winning last week’s ITF event in Nottinghill. Third seeded Briton Dan Evans also progressed, though he had to overcome a determined challenge from Xander Spong of the Netherlands. Evans eventually prevailed 64 06 62 to set up a third round meeting with American Ty D Trombetta. Mexican top seed Cesar Ramirez is also through after a straight sets victory over Australian Clifford Marsland.
In the girls’ competition, top seeded Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova continued the steady defence of her junior Australian Open title with a 60 64 win over Victoria Larriere. She plays the Netherlands Lesley Kerkhove next. Australia’s Jessica Moore and Poland’s Katarzyna Piter, both of whom could be Pavlyuchenkova’s main rivals for the title, both kept pace with the Russian by moving through to the third round.
The biggest upset in the girls’ competition was caused by Japan's Misaki Doi, who knocked out third seed Nikola Hofmanova (AUT) with a gritty 64 16 97 win. Australian Alison Bai also caused an upset by neating ninth seed Sacha Jones (NZL) 75 75.
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> More wins for Moore - Day 2 Australian Open
> Keeping up with the Joneses - Day 1 Australian Open
> Pavlyuchenkova favourite to retain Australia title
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