Azarenka adds Osaka Mayor's Cup to Trophy Haul:: ITF Tennis - Juniors

ITF Tennis - Juniors - Azarenka adds Osaka Mayor's Cup to Trophy Haul~~~

The results of the Osaka's Mayor's Cup in Japan have finally filtered back to this side of the globe, and Viktoria Azarenka's and Marin Cilic's wins will affect the Orange Bowl in opposite ways. Azarenka, who was finally tested in her semifinal match, has wrapped up the World Junior Championship for girls in 2005, and will now go off to work on the WTA tour, hoping to follow her fellow sixteen-year-old colleagues Michaella Krajicek and Nicole Vaidisova up the rankings ladder. The girls' Orange Bowl title for 2005 is wide open now.

Cilic has succeeded in tightening the boys rankings, to the point where the Orange Bowl will decide the top spot. (It's possible that the Yucatan Cup, a grade 1 that has been moved to a position AFTER the Orange Bowl, could figure in the race, but it's not likely.) Here are the current rankings after Sweeting's and Cilic's wins last weekend:

YOUNG, Donald USA 1477.50

CILIC, Marin CRO 1251.25

CHARDY, Jeremy FRA 1227.50

SWEETING, Ryan BAH 1163.75

MAYER, Leonardo ARG 1027.50

As I mentioned in a previous post, now only Cilic and Young have an opportunity to win three or more Grade A events and earn the 250 bonus points that go with that accomplishment.

And although it's just the boys' title in doubt, that's a big improvement over last year, when Gael Monfils and Krajicek had eliminated all the suspense.