 Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 15 Oct 2007 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 15 Oct 2007 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 15 Oct 2007 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 15 Oct 2007 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 27 Sep 2008 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 10 Oct 2007 |  Photographer: None / Not Applicable
Date: 21 Jan 2008 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 02 Jun 2008 |
|
| 03 Oct 2008 - James McGurran | |
| World Class Field Assembles for Grade A in Japan |
Asia’s Grade A tournament, the Osaka Mayor’s Cup, gets underway on Monday with a world class field assembling in Japan. After January’s Australian Open, the Osaka Mayor’s Cup provides the highlight of the second half of the tennis calendar in Asia. In both events the seedings will be headed by the regions top junior players,
Kurumi Nara has risen to number seven in the world rankings since her victory at the Osaka Mayor’s Cup in 2007. She holds an excellent 23-5 record on the ITF Junior Circuit this year, having added the Grade 1 Japan Open and most recently the Grade 1 Canadian Open to her list of titles. Very adept on hard court, with an expected huge crowd behind her, the reigning champion will be a tough proposition for her opponents.
Ana Bogdan (ROU) cannot be classed as a hard court specialist, having won the Grade 1 Banana Bowl on clay earlier this year. However Bogdan won a Grade 1 title on hard court last year as well as reaching the semifinal of Osaka Mayor’s Cup and then made the quarterfinal of this year’s Grade A Casablanca Cup. Ranked eighth in the world, Bogdan represents the biggest challenge to Nara. Aki Yamasoto (JPN) will look to maintain the host nation’s illustrious history in this tournament and possibly oust Nara as its top girl Japanese player. Yamasoto will attempt to transfer her excellent form on clay this year onto hard court.
Someone who certainly fits the description of a hard-court specialist is Yuki Bhambri (IND). Seeded no.1 in the boy’s event, Bhambri dominated the Asia/Oceania Closed Championships to win the singles and doubles on the surface at the end of 2007. He then reached the semifinal of the Australian Open and is fresh from leading the India Junior Davis Cup to its best ever finish of fourth place. Bhambri will be keen to confirm his place as Asia’s top junior player and return to the top ten ranking he held earlier in the year with a victory in Osaka.
Japanese interest in the boy’s event will focus upon Hiroki Moriya. Moriya enters the tournament as an enigma. After a successful first half to 2008, Moriya has not played on the Circuit since losing in the first round of Wimbledon. After a 3 month hiatus, attention will be focused on Moriya’s return to competitive action. Moriya will look for the strength in the fact that half of the Grade A titles this year have gone to players from the home country. Other contenders include Cheng Peng Hsieh (TPE). Hugely successful as a doubles player, with Australian Open and Wimbledon titles this year, the current Osaka Mayor’s Cup doubles champion continues his transition into a top quality singles player. The European contingent is headed by Marin Draganja (CRO).
Results, reports and photos will be available every day next week on www.itftennis.com/juniors.
^ Back to Top
|
