 Photographer: Francesco Panunzio
Date: 19 May 2009 |  Photographer: Corinne Dubreuil
Date: 28 Jan 2009 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 23 Sep 2008 |  Photographer: Francesco Panunzio
Date: 22 May 2009 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 01 Sep 2008 |  Photographer: Francesco Panunzio
Date: 23 May 2007 |
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| 29 May 2009 - Catherine Michie | |
| Roland Garros 2009 Preview |
Roland Garros will open its doors to the future stars of the game, as the Junior Championships gets under way this weekend. Top players from around the globe will look to emulate the success of past champions such as Stefan Edberg, John McEnroe, Martina Hingis and Amelie Mauresmo.
The girls’ event boasts a strong field with the World’s Top 10 players gathering in Paris to compete for the title. World number one Laura Robson (GBR) will be looking to claim her second Grand Slam title. The reigning Wimbledon Champion has had her confidence knocked losing in straight sets to Sloane Stephens (USA) in the quarter-finals of the Italian Open, which would suggest that she is perhaps not yet ready to win a Grand Slam on this surface. Stephens, who dropped just one set on the way to victory at last week’s Grade A Italian open, is one of the in form players on the circuit boasting a 12-0 record this year.
Current World Champion, Noppawan Lertcheewakarn (THA), is also a strong contender, however having not made an appearance on the Junior Circuit since the Australian Open earlier this year, it will be interesting to see how this affects her performance as she attempts to claim her first Grand Slam title.
Olivia Rogowska (AUS), with a WTA Ranking of 256, is a strong outside contender for the Championship. Rogowska has already displayed some fine tennis at Roland Garros this year, taking Kateryina Bondarenko to three sets in the women’s second round. However her first round exit at the Italian Open last week shows a recent lack of consistency.
Also in the frame for the girls’ title are Australian Open Champion Ksenia Pervak (RUS)World number two Ana Bogdan (ROU) and Timea Babos (HUN). Babos, World number three, suffered a shock defeat in the second round at the Italian Open, however added three Grade 1 titles to her collection earlier this year. Pervak, boasts a 11-1 record this year and will certainly be one of the favourites going into the Championships, whilst Bogdan is yet to be beaten on clay on the Junior Circuit this year.
In the boys’ event Liang-Chi Huang (TPE) will look to recover from his first round loss and disappointing performance at the Italian Open, and rediscover the success he was enjoying at the start of the year where he claimed two titles. Huang has enjoyed mixed success since the start of the clay court season, reaching the quarter-finals in Santa Croce, and then losing his first matches in subsequent events, the Italian Open and Astrid Bowl, which questions his ability to win a Grand Slam on this surface.
Bernard Tomic (AUS) will be looking to claim his second Grand Slam title, and improve on his quarter-final appearance at last year’s Roland Garros as he goes into his first grand slam of the year. Tomic has not made an appearance on the junior circuit since making a shock exit in the first round of last year’s US Open Junior Championships, but remains as one of the favourites for the title and, with an ATP ranking of 362, his experience in the professional game may prove invaluable.
Argentina’s Andrea Collarini, a clay court specialist, is also in contention for the title, enjoying consistent success on clay this year. He is joined by fellow countryman Facundo Arguello, who claimed his first Grade A title at the Italian Open last week.
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