11th January 2007
The beat goes on ...
by Rose Mather
Once again the top 100 rankings were bounced around, mostly thanks to the grade one Coffee Bowl. As you know Jonathan Eysseric FRA is currently top banana with Martin Klizan SVK breathing down his neck. It will be interesting to see who will pull ahead enough to be out of harm's way down under. A good result at the Australian Open can put any of the top players in the lead with a comfortable margin.

This week Coffee Bowl boys singles winner, Fernando Romboli BRA jumped into the top ten from 17th to 7th while Patricio Alvarado ECU darted into the 39th spot by making it into the Coffee Bowl singles quarterfinals and the doubles finals with partner Gonzalo Escobar ECU. Singles and doubles quarterfinals were enough to get Eugen Brazdil SVK on the movers and shakers list along with American, Drew Daniels moving from 77th to 61st place. Coffee Bowl finalist, Tomas Schoorel NED, nudged to the 62nd spot and Jarmeere Jenkins USA, doubles winner with Bradley Klahn USA, moved up six more spaces to number 80. Marcelo Arevalo ESA enters the top 100 as number 87 as does Alexey Tikhonov RUS winner of the Chandigarth G3 into 89th place.

The girls ranking had their own quivers going on. Anastasia Pivovarova RUS jumped into the top ten taking over the number 8th position after her singles win at the Coffee Bowl. Meanwhile solid results at the Coffee Bowl earned Irina Begu ROM a number 36 rung and Jade Curtis GBR up to 74th slot. The grade 3 Salk Open winner, Arantxa Rus NED, enjoyed a jump of 18 spaces to land in at 75, while the girls top 100 also welcomes in Julia Glushko ISR and Valeria Solovieva RUS.

Loy Yang Traralgon started off the Australian summer season of ITF junior events with unseeded Jasmina Tinjic taking her first ITF junior grade 1 title. She battled her way past the eighth and tenth seeds before a surprise downing of top seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS in the semifinals. In the finals she faced fifth seed Kristina Kucova SVK and three sets later she shared the podium with boys champions Roman Jebavy CZE (3), who is also enjoying his first grade one singles title.

Anastasia, who won all three tournaments in Australia last year, fell in the first event and according to the entry list at this time, has decided to pass on the Nottinghill event.

Meanwhile Australia held it's 16's National Hardcourt Championships that spanned over 2006 and 2007. The coveted boys title went to Brendan McKenzie and the girls to Stephanie Wiltshire.

In other junior ITF tournaments, Alexandra Kolesnichenko UZB won her first singles title of the year and third of her career at the Chandigarh G3, while Salk Open boys champion Rasmus Jonasson SWE earned a 3rd singles trophy.

USA had their Winter Nationals last week, with all age divisions. Ryan Thacher and Emily Gilber were victorious in the 18s, Evan King and Aeriel Ellis took the 16s honor roll and Nathan Pasha and Ellen Tsay came out on top in the 14s age division. Finally in the 12s championships, the titles went to Reo Asami and Jerricka Boone.

The USTA ranking just rolled over and produced several new top guns. Ryan Thacher boys 18, Brennan Boyajian boys 16, Kristie Ahn, girls 16, Ellen Tsay girls 14 and Jarret Fisher girls 12. G18 Rika Zsilinska, B14 Denis Kudla and Boys 12 Reo Asammi continue to hold their number one status.


2007 Movers & Shakers: