 Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 28 Jun 2008 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 13 Oct 2008 |  Photographer: Hiromasa Mano
Date: 13 Oct 2008 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 05 Jul 2008 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 03 Jul 2008 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 02 Jul 2008 |
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| 06 Dec 2008 | |
| Orange Bowl set to decide Year End Number Ones |
A world-class field will assemble at Crandon Park Tennis Center, Florida next week for the 62nd edition of the Orange Bowl, the last Grade A event of the year. With twelve of the top twenty boys - including seven of the top ten - and nine of the top twenty girls, the tournament promises to be one of the highlights of the 2008 ITF Junior Circuit.
With its traditional position at the end of the year, the Orange Bowl has often been crucial in deciding the year end number one rankings. The 2008 year end ranking race is no different. Both current leaders of the boys and girls rankings, Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) and Noppawan Lertcheewakarn (THA) have opted not to play the Orange Bowl, leaving the ranking race wide open for several of their rivals, who will be desperate to claim the prestigious Grade A Orange Bowl title, and possibly with it, the coveted number one year end ranking position.
Tsung Hua Yang (TPE) leads the boys’ field. Yang has played sparingly on the Circuit this year, focusing on the Grade A and Grade 1 tournaments with great success. Yang is the current Roland Garros Junior Champion and finished runner up at the Australian Open, as well as reaching the semifinal at the US Open. Yang’s closest rival should be Yuki Bhambri (IND). Bhambri recently enjoyed a thirteen match unbeaten streak which took in the Grade A Osaka Mayor’s Cup and GB1 Asia/Oceania Closed Championships. This ended last week at the Grade 1 Eddie Herr ITF and Bhambri will be keen to return to his winning ways with a victory in Florida.
Third seed Cesar Ramirez (MEX) enters the tournament having demonstrated excellent consistency at the top level in 2008, winning the Grade A Casablanca Cup and reaching at least the quarterfinal of all five Grade A tournaments he has played this year. In his final year as a junior, Ramirez will be keen to end his junior career on a high note with a second Grade A title. Fourth seed and world ranked number seven, Cedrik Michel Stebe (GER), will be looking to upset the top seeds as he challenges for a first Grade A title of his junior career, also in his final tournament as a junior. In good form recently is Guillaume Rufin (FRA) who won the Grade 1 Copa Yucatan in Mexico last month.
The year end ranking race has been one of the most intriguing for several years. With current number one Grigor Dimitrov not competing at the Orange Bowl, Yang would usurp him as the number one ranked junior if he reaches the second round. Bhambri heads into the tournament knowing he requires victory in the singles and doubles to be in contention for the year end number one ranking.
In the girls’ event, Laura Robson (GBR) heads the list of potential victors. Robson suffered a shock defeat in the second round of the Eddie Herr ITF last week, her first tournament on the ITF Junior Circuit since claiming the Wimbledon Junior title in July. Robson will be looking to put that defeat behind her and get back to winning ways. Robson has enjoyed the Orange Bowl in the younger age groups, having won the title here at Under 12’s and Under 14’s level. Robson’s major rival will be world number seven Ana Bogdan (ROU). The Romanian has claimed the Grade A Casablanca Cup and two Grade 1 titles this year.
Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) and Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) will also be seeded this year. Both players will take strength from the fact they are both part of a small number that have defeated one of the favourites, Ana Bogdan, this year. Also in good form recently is Heather Watson (GBR). Watson claimed the Grade 1 Copa Yucatan last month and finished runner up at the Grade 1 Eddie Herr ITF last week.
American hopes are in the form of Mallory Burdette and Lauren Embree. Embree enters the tournament fresh from a victory in the Eddie Herr ITF last week and has also claimed a rare victory over Ana Bogdan earlier this year.
Robson, Bodgan and Noppawan Lertcheewakarn are all in contention for the girls’ year end number one ranking. With Lertcheewakarn opting not to compete at the Orange Bowl, Robson and Bogdan have been gifted an opportunity to overtake their rival in the rankings race. Given the close nature of the rankings, any one of several combinations of singles and doubles results could see either Robson or Bogdan claim the coveted position when the latest rankings are released next Monday, making this one of the closest finishes to the rankings race in recent years.
Daily results and reports from the Orange Bowl will be available on www.itftennis.com/juniors.
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