 Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 13 Oct 2008 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 13 Oct 2008 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 13 Oct 2008 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 13 Oct 2008 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 13 Oct 2008 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 13 Oct 2008 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 13 Oct 2008 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 13 Oct 2008 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 13 Oct 2008 |
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| 13 Oct 2008 - Helen McFetridge | |
| Bogdan upsets Nara for first Grade A win |
Romania’s Ana Bogdan claimed the first Grade A title of her junior career as she beat top seed and defending champion Kurumi Nara (JPN) in the final of the Osaka Mayor’s Cup yesterday.
Nara had been aiming to become the first girl ever to win Japan’s Grade A tournament two years in succession, and when she made her way into the final without dropping a set she looked as though she was on track to realise her goal. Bogdan, however, winner of two Grade 1 titles at the beginning of the year, had been in even better form during the week. She did not come close to dropping a set en route to the final, and swept aside Japanese fourth seed Aki Yamasoto 61 60 in the semifinals. Nara got off to a good start in the finals, in front of a capacity 5000-strong crowd who were urging the local player on, but Bogdan hit back to win 36 75 62.
The boys’ final also featured the top two seeds and a local presence, with Japanese second seed Hiroki Moriya taking on top seed Yuki Bhambri (IND). Moriya was going for his first tournament win on the ITF Junior Circuit since a Grade 4 win in Thailand in July 2006, but he was up against it from the start against former world top five player Bhambri. Bhambri had not been in the best of form in recent months on the junior circuit, but in Osaka he appeared to rediscover the tennis that had got him to the Australian Open semi-finals in January. Fourth seed Marin Draganja (CRO) managed to take the second set off him in the semis, but otherwise the Indian was in imperious form. The final was one-way traffic as Moria never really got into the match, Bhambri running out a 62 63 winner. It was his first title since the Asia/Oceania Closed Championships almost a year ago, and sees him head back up the rankings again after his recent decline.
Bhambri had a chance to make it a double victory as he also contested the doubles final, but he and partner Liang Chi Huang (TPE) lost a close match 75 76(3) to Croatian pair Vedran Ljubicic and Marin Draganja. The girls’ doubles final was even closer, with Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) and Timea Babos (HUN) denying the Japanese any home winners as they defeated Aki Yamasoto and Miyabi Inoue 76(6) 76(6).
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