 Photographer: Francesco Panunzio
Date: 23 May 2008 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 05 Jun 2008 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 28 Jun 2008 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 06 Jul 2008 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 02 Jul 2008 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 15 Oct 2007 |
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| 29 Aug 2008 - Helen McFetridge | |
| Juniors all set for last Grand Slam of 2008 |
The world’s best juniors are in New York this week for the last Grand Slam of the year and for many of them, the last Grand Slam of their junior careers.
Chief among those looking to leave the junior ranks on a high note will be Melanie Oudin (USA). After losing in the second round of last year’s US Open Oudin put together an incredible run which saw her win 49 of her next 52 matches. The run encompassed six ITF titles at Grade 1 level and took her to number two in the world, but the three losses came at the most crucial points – in the Orange Bowl final, the quarter finals at Roland Garros and the second round at Wimbledon. Oudin has shown she has the ability to beat the best players in the world, but she has yet to put it together when it really matters.
Two players in particular look capable of preventing Oudin from claiming her first Grand Slam title. World number one and Australian Open champion Arantxa Rus (NED) is the only player in the draw to have previously won a Grand Slam singles title and she will be hard to beat. Australia’s Jessica Moore, runner-up to Rus in her home Grand Slam in January, beat Oudin in the first round of the senior US Open and will be hoping to repeat the victory should they meet in the latter stages of the juniors. Moore reached the quarter finals in New York last year and should better that performance this time around.
Several unseeded Americans could be involved towards the end of the week, with Madison Brengle perhaps the most likely to make an impact. Brengle has not played enough on the junior circuit to earn a seed this year, but she has twice finished runner-up in Grand Slam events and is capable of going one better at her home Grand Slam. Wild card Kristie Ahn gained valuable confidence by coming through qualifying in the women’s event, and her fellow wild card Coco Vandeweghe made it to the third round of the juniors last year.
The boys’event looks just as open as the girls, with all three of this year’s Grand Slam winners in action. World number one Tsung-Hua Yang (TPE), champion at Roland Garros, is something of an unknown quantity on US hard courts but his runner-up finish in Australia suggests he is as comfortable on hard as he is on clay.
Last year Bernard Tomic (AUS) got into the US Open as a lucky loser and proceeded to make it to the third round, following that up by winning the Grade 1 in Kentucky. This time around he enters the tournament as world number two, Australian Open champion and one of the favourites for the title. Tomic has reached the quarter finals or better at all three Grand Slams this year and he is likely to feature at the business end of the week in New York as well.
Wimbledon champion Grigor Dimitrov (BUL), like Tomic, has a good record on American hard courts, having reached the semi finals of the Eddie Herr and the final of the Orange Bowl last year. He will be hoping to build on his Wimbledon success and stake his claim as the best junior of 2008.
As in the girls’ singles, several American boys could trouble the top seeds. World number 11 Ryan Harrison, winner of the Grade A Osaka Mayor’s Cup last year, heads the American challenge. Bradley Klahn, Jarmere Jenkins, Rhyne Williams and Chase Buchanan have all had good results on the ITF Junior Circuit and home advantage may inspire them to go one step further in New York.
Two potential dark horses are Filip Krajinovic (SRB) and Guido Pella (ARG). 16-year-old Krajinovic has wins over Tomic and Harrison on hard courts, while Roland Garros semi-finalist Pella has played sparingly on the junior circuit, but achieved some success in professional events.
Daily reports and photos can be found at www.itftennis.com/juniors.
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