 Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 01 Jun 2008 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 01 Jun 2008 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 01 Jun 2008 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 01 Jun 2008 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 02 Jun 2008 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 02 Jun 2008 |
|
| 01 Jun 2008 - Paris - Eleanor Preston |  Related Audio |
| Pella lays down Paris challenge |
 An Interview with Melanie Oudin (MP3 format)
An Interview with Guido Pella (MP3 format)
 
If you cannot play the audio on your computer, then you can update your media player by following one of the links above.
Argentina’s Guido Pella might have come to Paris for the second junior grand slam of the season as the player in form but that did not stop the South American teenager from being nervous during Sunday’s emphatic 6-0, 6-1 first round win over Great Britain’s Tom Knight at Junior Roland Garros.
“It was difficult because it was the first time I have played here at Roland Garros and the first match is always difficult for a player. I was very nervous,” said Pella, who arrived in France fresh from his impressive victory at the ITF Grade A Italian Open. “I played very well and I played very focused on my game. For me it was a good one to win. This is my favourite grand slam. Really it is unbelievable. The people are really nice and the courts are amazing and for me it’s a great pleasure to play here in the juniors. For me, always when I go to a big tournament it is unbelievable, especially when you come here and find great Argentine players like David Nalbandian, Juan-Ignacio Chela and Agustin Calleri. It’s pretty nice.”
Pella is very proud of his versatility and all-court game but there is no doubt that his recent results suggest that he is most at home on red clay and he agrees. “I never played on grass but clay and hardcourts, for me they are ok but I prefer clay,” said Pella. “It’s a change to play here but I played very well and I feel comfortable in the match and here. For me it’s a big pleasure to be here. I can learn a lot of things about all the grand slams and I want to learn all about them because if I come back here as a professional I want to know all the courts and the surroundings. For me that’s very important.”
Pella will face stiff competition at Roland Garros from Australian top seed Bernard Tomic, as well as second seeded Mexican Cesar Ramirez, who was also amongst the winners on day one of the junior tournament. Ramirez beat Tadayuki Longhi of Japan 6-0, 6-1 to earn his place in the second round. Tomic, meanwhile, will be in action on Monday, weather permitting.
The USA’s Melanie Oudin, who is top seed in the girls’ tournament, also enjoyed a successful opening day on her first visit to Roland Garros. Oudin’s 6-0, 6-1 win over Valeria Savinykh of Russia was all the more impressive for being the American’s first ever match on red clay, though she is confident she has the sort of game which can adapt to the slow, high-bouncing surface courts in Paris. “It’s definitely an issue. Wednesday was my first day so I’ve had about four days of practice so I’m glad I got through. It’s so different to what we had in the States,” said Oudin. “I try to play kind of like Justine Henin did, with a lot of variety with lots of dropshots and angles and slices and stuff and I think that it works pretty well on clay. The main thing is just getting used to sliding on the clay because I’m really not used to it.”
Oudin even admits to a few spills during practice as she has been learning to adjust to moving the Parisian clay. “I am pretty clumsy actually,” she said with a smile. “I didn’t fall over today, though, which I’m really glad about. That’s my goal for the week – not to fall over!”
Richel Hogenkamp of the Netherlands scored the biggest upset of the opening day in the girls’ competition. Ana Bognan of Romania. Hogenkamp beat the fourth seed 6-4, 3-6, 10-8. In the boys’ tournament, seventh seed Marcelo Arevalo of El Salvador was bundled out in the first round by Francois-Arthur Vibert; tenth seed Alexei Grigorev of Russia was knocked out at the same stage by Andrew Thomas of Australia and fourth seed Yuki Bhambri of India fell 6-2, 6-1 to another French entrant, Guillaime Rufin.
^ Back to Top
|
