Friday 8th December 2006
As much as yesterday was oppressively hot, today it was the opposite; damp and cloudy and the heat index barely made it to 18 °C.

Almost perfect showdown for boy's 18 semifinals
by Annie Paton
Despite many of the seeds falling early, it's almost a perfect semifinal showdown in the boy's 18 singles championships. Nicolas Santos (1) (BRA) will face Peter Polansky (CAN), who defeated Kellen Damico (3) (USA) in the first round. Peter then proceeded to hold on the 3rd place slot all the way to the semifinals. In the lower half of the draw Petru Luncanu (4) (ROM) will face Donald Young (2) (USA).

Peter made it to the semifinals today by wearing down the 5th seeded Pavel Chekhov (RUS) in three gripping sets; interrupted once before the last game by a short rain delay.

The Canadian was down 3-5, 0-40 on the tall Russian's serve in the first set, saved those three set points and ended up breaking him and taking it to a tiebreak. He saved another set point in the breaker, however Pavel converted on his fifth set point to gain the first set advantage. Undeterred, Peter rolled on to a 6-7(7); 6-1; 6-4 victory, with only one hiccup when he let go a 5-2 lead in the third set. The rain stopped proceedings at 5-4 but he returned ten minutes later to serve it out.

"We both played pretty well and it was a good match so I am pretty happy," said Peter, about the crowd pleaser on the back court 11. "He was serving big so I had to get it back deep and keep him on the back. I hadn't played him before but I knew his forehand was pretty big, but when he was going cross court with it I was always there, so I think I forced him to stay back a bit."

Next Peter meets the Eddie Herr winner, Nicolas Santos, who breezed through to the semifinals with a 6-0; 6-1 trouncing of qualifier, Brennan Boyajian (USA) on the stadium court. The fiery Brazilian steamrolled over the American, stopping his great run at the championships.

"I know he's always screaming and stuff," said Peter about tomorrow's match. "I know it's going to be like that and I have to be ready."

Meantime, the reigning world junior champion, Donald Young (2) (USA) sparred with Danila Arsenov (10) (RUS) until 6-4; 2-0 when he was indignantly broken by the Russian. "He did well to break me," said Donald. "He hit something like three or four forehand winners, but he played well, more like a pro than the rest of the guys I've played. It was a little easier to hit hard, flat, and deep and he gave me more to work with." Afterwards the second seed denied the player from Russia another game to win the match, 6-4; 6-1.

Donald will face Petru Luncanu (4) who defeated him after last year's Orange Bowl, at the Yucatan Cup in Mexico. Petru was instrumental in deciding who would be world champion last year, by defeating Donald's hot contender, Marin Cilic in the semifinal round.

Madison Brengle (12) is through to the girl's 18 semifinals after opponent, Petra Martic of Croatia, suddenly twisted her ankle at 3-6; 6-4; 1-2. "It happened after the point was over, after she won the game," said Madison, stunned when she was handed the match. Petra had suddenly grabbed her ankle in pain and demanded to see a doctor. "Maybe she was recovering from the bounce or whatever, but her ankle rolled over hard and fast. Now they are saying it's possibly a stress fracture because she can't put weight on it. It was really bad. I didn't want to win that way; I wanted to fight for it."

Now she will meet Nikola Hofmanova (9) (AUT) who defeated Julia Cohen (4) (USA) in a long three hour battle, 6-4; 4-6; 7-5. After they split sets, Julia took a medical timeout at 2-1 in the third for her right leg. After the match resumed Nikola admitted to some external distractions. "I had advantage, then the umpire stopped the game because there was waste on the court. We had to repeat the point and I was so angry I lost that game." Afterwards she regrouped, but still had to break at 4-5 in order to stay in the match. "I put everything I had into it and I start to play again," she said. "I just hit the ball and didn't think of it."

Her opponent was very complimentary about the 15 year old Austrian's game. "I was up 5-4, 15-love in the third set when the rain delay came," said Julie, whose brother Josh brought with him the entire University of Miami tennis team to cheer her on. "She calmed down and played a really good three games to win it."

The favorite to win the championships, Ksenia Milevskaya (2) had to fend off an old foe, Anastasia Pivovarova (11) to reach the semifinals. Ksenia, who has beaten Anastasia three times before, had to deal with two interruptions for medical time outs by her opponent, before winning, 6-3; 7-6(6).

Anastasia had her right thigh taped after losing the first set and the first game of the second set. Afterwards she rallied to win the next five games to lead 5-1, before Ksenia stopped the rot. "After she took the first time out I wasn't confident, but she felt me coming back," said Ksenia, who fought her way back to five-games-all. "Afterwards I was getting my confidence."

In the second time out, Anastasia crumpled in a heap on the court, after pulling up with her right ankle. The score: 5-games-all 30-all, in the second set with Ksenia leading 6-3. After having her ankle taped the Russian won the next two points for 6-5, but undeterred Ksenia brought it to a tiebreak after serving a love game. Ksenia had three match points at 6-4 and 6-5 before capitalizing at 8-6.

Ksenia will meet Sharon Fichman (3) in the other semifinal tomorrow. Ksenia leads their head-to-head, 2-1, winning the last time in the final of the Canadian Open this year. Earlier Sharon outlasted Reka Zsilinszka (10) in another long three setter.

Reka, who won the first set, said, 'I played well, so I am proud of myself."

Eddie Herr boy's 16 winner, Grigor Dimitrov (5) (BUL) made it to the boy's 16 final as he had hoped, by defeating Lorenzo Papasidero (ITA). However, instead of Guido Pella (ARG) in the final he will meet his victor, David Thurner (GER).

The girl's final will be an all-American affair, with Allie Will (14) whose father is flying in specially to see her in the final. Allie defeated Kristie Ahn (USA), 6-3; 6-0 and will face Lauren Embree (USA) who outlasted Andreea Mitu (ROM) in another three hour battle, 6-7(1); 6-2; 7-6(6).

Rain stopped the completion of some of the doubles matches. Check back for the 18s singles semifinals, which start at 10:00 am and the 16s singles finals at 9:00 am.

Pavel Chekov


Donald Young


Ksena Milevskaya


Nicola Hofmanova


David Thurner


Allie Will (14) (WC)