The 2009 Junior Davis Cup & Junior Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Asia/Oceania Qualifying at Shepparton, Australia, ended with the Hong Kong boys' team finishing in 8th position, while the girls' contingent came in at 12th place following a loss against Kazakhstan earlier yesterday to conclude this year's outing.
Bearing in mind that most teams in Shepparton this week, besides the Australians, are not accustomed to playing on natural turf, the slick turned out to be quite an Achilles' heel for the Hong Kong contingent. Regardless, HKTA General Manager, Mrs. Janet Hardisty, said: "Still, we are extremely pleased that both teams managed to better the results from last year."
Although the Junior Davis Cup trio of Justin To (ITF 325), Vincent Yau (ITF 1030), and an injured James Kong (ITF 530) who was sidelined after Day 2, was unable to overcome New Zealand's one-two of Jaden Grinter (ITF 532) and Chester Espie (unranked) in yesterday's 7th-8th Place Playoff, their 8th place finish this year is the best position returned by a JDC team from Hong Kong since 2003. That year, the territory's team of Martin Sayer, Michael Lai, and Ronald Chow beat Uzbekistan on the last day to place 7th overall.
Since 2003, however, no Hong Kong team has managed to place higher than 11th at the Asia/Oceania Qualifying.
In fact, since the inception of the Junior Davis Cup (previously called World Youth Cup for both boys and girls' events) in 1985, only one team from Hong Kong has managed to qualify for the World Finals.
One.
In 2001, a Jack Hui–Brian Hung led contingent barnstormed their way to the final of the Asia/Oceania Qualifying before they fell to Australia in a match where both singles face-offs went to a deciding set.
In the ensuing World Finals in Santiago, Chile, that was contested on clay later that October, the boys from Hong Kong beat Brazil en route to placing 10th overall.
To put the win against Brazil in perspective, consider this: Just several months after that World Finals defeat to Hong Kong, two of the Brazilians on that World Youth Cup team – Leonardo Kirche and Bruno Rosa – were to reach the Top-10 in boys' singles on the ITF Junior World Rankings.
With refrain from pointing to the obvious, Jack Hui and Brian Hung's path-breaking feat in 2001 remains unmatched till this day.
Meanwhile, in Monday's 11th-12th Place Playoff in the Junior Fed Cup Qualifying, a visibly exhausted Hong Kong team was beaten by Kazakhstan 3-0 to finish in 12th place overall.
At number two singles, Lucy Tang (ITF 1583) still battled on gamely despite feeling the after effects of having played both singles and doubles for the third consecutive day. However, it was not nearly enough to stop the physically imposing and ultra-fit Zalina Khairudinova, as she lost in straight sets, 6-3, 6-0.
At the top of the order, Leung Lok Sze (ITF 1476), who stepped in for an ailing Katherine Ip, played arguably her best match this week when she took opposing No. 1 Kamila Kerimbayeva to a first set tiebreak before eventually losing 7-6, 6-3.
In the remaining doubles, Lucy Tang and Leung Lok Sze managed to take the second set against Yelena Nemchen and Zalina Khairudinova before going down in a very good effort in the third, 6-4, 2-6, 6-1.
Over the years, only two Junior Fed Cup teams from Hong Kong have managed to make their way to the World Finals – and it just so happened that they occurred in back-to-back years.
In 2005, a Zhang Ling–Venise Chan led squad first made the World Finals when they came 3rd behind China and Australia during that year's Asia/Oceania Qualifying in Bangkok. In the ensuing World Finals in Barcelona, they were to defeat defending champions Argentina and No. 5 seeds Canada en route to finishing 11th overall.
That path-breaking feat of placing 11th amongst the world's best girls' under-16 teams remains unmatched till this day.
The following year, the Jessica Yang–Geraldine Leong one-two also propelled the Hong Kong team to the World Finals by placing fourth at the Asia/Oceania Qualifying. The team eventually finished in 16th position after a final day loss to the Japanese in the consolations.
For the girls' event this year, Indonesia's Grace Ysidora (ITF 48) is the highest-ranked player in Shepparton this week, followed by Japan's Emi Mutaguchi at No. 69, and China's Zeng Saisai at No. 84.
On the boys' side, Jeong Suk-Young at No. 63 is the highest-ranked, followed by India's Saraubh Singh (ITF 108) and Mohit Mayur (ITF 168), and Uzbekistan's Sergey Shipilov (ITF 175).
Interestingly, despite Joey Swaysland (ITF 244) being the highest-ranked Aussie at this year's qualies, it was Luke Saville (ITF 340) who has started exclusively at the one spot apart from the final game. Swaysland, on the contrary, has started exclusively at No. 2 singles instead, up until the last match when he replaced the rested Saville at the one, that is.
In yesterday's final, the Junior Fed Cup team of Japan, seeded 1st, beat No. 7 seed Australia 2-1 to finish in 1st place.
After Molly Polak had to retire at number two singles, Japan's Emi Mutaguchi (ITF 69) proved far too strong for Viktorija Rajicic, dropping just one game to the Aussie No. 1 in a one-sided 6-1, 6-0 affair that sealed first place for the Japanese.
Second seed China and third seed Indonesia, finished in 3rd and 4th place respectively, and therefore also qualifying for the World Finals.
In the playoff for 1st place, the Junior Davis Cup squad from Uzbekistan, the No. 3 seeds, defeated top seed Korea 2-1 behind the play of Sergey Shipilov (ITF 175). The Uzbek No. 1 first produced a tie-saving win against Jeong Suk-Young (ITF 63), the highest-ranked player in Shepparton this week, before teaming with Jakhongir Jalolov to take the doubles against Chung Hong and Jang Woo-Hyeok, 2-6, 7-6(3), 6-3.
Second-seeded India and No. 5 seed Australia, the third and fourth placed teams, also qualified for the World Finals .
The Junior Davis Cup/Junior Fed Cup Qualifying begins with a round robin stage where teams are divided into four groups. After three rounds of matches, the top two teams of each group then advance to the knockout stage (quarterfinals). The top 4-placed teams (i.e. semifinalists) will then progress to the World Finals where they will compete against the best 16U teams from around the globe – Africa, Europe, and North America, etc.
This year's World Finals will be held from September 29 to October 4 in San Luis Potosi, Mexico.
About the Junior Davis Cup & Junior Fed Cup by BNP Paribas (tennis.bnpparibas.com)
Results
Junior Davis Cup by BNP Paribas
Asia/Oceania Final Qualifying
Shepparton and Tatura Lawn Tennis Clubs
Victoria, Australia
April 13-21, 2009
ROUND ROBINS
Group D – Day 1 (Apr 15)
HONG KONG defeated (7)PHILIPPINES 3 – 0
R-1 James Kong (HKG) d. Leander Lazzaro (PHI) 6-2 6-0
R-2 Justin To (HKG) d. Jeson Patrombon (PHI) 7-6(3) 6-4
R-3 Justin To/James Kong (HKG) d. Jeson Patrombon/Leander Lazzaro (PHI) 6-2 7-5
Group D – Day 2 (Apr 16)
(2)INDIA defeated HONG KONG 2 – 1
R-1 Saurabh Singh (IND) d. James Kong (HKG) 4-6 6-2 -- Retired (rolled ankle)
R-2 Mohit Mayur (IND) d. Justin To (HKG) 6-1 6-3
R-3 Justin To/Vincent Yau (HKG) d. Saurabh Singh/Ronit Bisht (IND) 3-6 7-6(7) 7-5
Group D – Day 3 (Apr 17)
HONG KONG defeated KAZAKHSTAN 2 – 1
R-1 Vincent Yau (HKG) d. Dinmukhammed Yessenkulov (KAZ) 7-6(4) 4-6 6-3
R-2 Justin To (HKG) d. Denis Yevseyev (KAZ) 6-1 6-3
R-3 Denis Yevseyev/Dinmukhammed Yessenkulov (KAZ) d. Justin To/Vincent Yau (HKG) 4-6 6-2 6-1
KNOCKOUTS
Quarterfinals – Day 4 (Apr 18)
(5)AUSTRALIA defeated HONG KONG 3 – 0
R-1 Joey Swaysland (AUS) d. Vincent Yau (HKG) 6-2 6-1
R-2 Luke Saville (AUS) d. Justin To (HKG) 6-3 6-1
R-3 Joey Swaysland/Todd Volmari (AUS) d. Justin To/Vincent Yau (HKG) 6-1 6-3
CONSOLATIONS
5th-8th Place Playoffs – Day 5 (Apr 19)
(6)THAILAND defeated HONG KONG 3 – 0
R-1 Aviruth Phaphui (THA) d. Vincent Yau (HKG) 6-3 6-4
R-2 Warit Sornbutnark (THA) d. Justin To (HKG) 6-1 6-4
R-3 Nuttanon Kadchapanan/Aviruth Phaphui (THA) d. Justin To/Vincent Yau (HKG) 7-5 6-3
7th-8th Place Playoff – Day 6 (Apr 20)
(8)NEW ZEALAND defeated HONG KONG 3 – 0
R-1 Chester Espie (NZL) d. Vincent Yau (HKG) 6-3 6-1
R-2 Jaden Grinter (NZL) d. Justin To (HKG) 6-0 7-6(3)
R-3 Jaden Grinter/Chester Espie (NZL) d. Justin To/Vincent Yau (HKG) 6-3 0-6 6-1
Results
Junior Fed Cup by BNP Paribas
Asia/Oceania Final Qualifying
Shepparton and Tatura Lawn Tennis Clubs
Victoria, Australia
April 13-21, 2009
ROUND ROBINS
Group A – Day 1 (Apr 15)
(1)JAPAN defeated HONG KONG 3 – 0
R-1 Akiko Omae (JPN) d. Leung Lok Sze (HKG) 6-0 6-0
R-2 Emi Mutaguchi (JPN) d. Katherine Ip (HKG) 6-1 6-1
R-3 Akiko Omae/Yuki Ito (JPN) d. Leung Lok Sze/Lucy Tang (HKG) 6-2 6-1
Group A – Day 2 (Apr 16)
(1)KOREA defeated HONG KONG 3 – 0
R-1 Yea Hyojung (KOR) d. Leung Lok Sze (HKG) 6-2 6-1
R-2 Jang Su-Jeong (KOR) d. Katherine Ip (HKG) 3-6 6-4 6-2
R-3 Jang Su-Jeong/Choi Ji-Hee (KOR) d. Leung Lok Sze/Lucy Tang (HKG) 6-1 6-0
Group A – Day 3 (Apr 17)
HONG KONG defeated MALAYSIA 3 – 0
R-1 Leung Lok Sze (HKG) d. Theiviya Selvarajoo (MAS) 7-5 6-1
R-2 Katherine Ip (HKG) d. Choo Lyn Yee (MAS) 6-4 2-6 6-2
R-3 Katherine Ip/Lucy Tang (HKG) d. Adelle Boey/Theiviya Selvarajoo (MAS) (5)6-7 6-0 6-4
CONSOLATIONS
9th-16th Place Playoffs – Day 4 (Apr 18)
HONG KONG defeated SRI LANKA 3 – 0
R-1 Lucy Tang (HKG) d. Kemalie Herath (SRI) 6-0 5-7 6-0
R-2 Leung Lok Sze (HKG) d. Nilushi Fernando (SRI) 6-3 6-0
R-3 Katherine Ip/Lucy Tang (HKG) d. Kemalie Herath/Sherine Wijesingha (SRI) 6-0 6-2
9th-12th Place Playoffs – Day 5 (Apr 19)
CHINESE TAIPEI defeated HONG KONG 2 – 1
R-1 Tsai Hsin-Ting (TPE) d. Lucy Tang (HKG) 6-0 3-6 6-3
R-2 Lee Hua-Chen (TPE) d. Leung Lok Sze (HKG) 6-1 6-1
R-3 Lucy Tang/Katherine Ip (HKG) d. Wu Yu-Hui/Tsai Hsin-Ting (TPE) 7-6(4) 6-4
11th-12th Place Playoff – Day 6 (Apr 20)
KAZAKHSTAN defeated HONG KONG 3 – 0
R-1 Zalina Khairudinova (KAZ) d. Lucy Tang (HKG) 6-3 6-0
R-2 Kamila Kerimbayeva (KAZ) d. Leung Lok Sze (HKG) 7-6(0) 6-3
R-3 Yelena Nemchen/Zalina Khairudinova (KAZ) d. Lucy Tang/Leung Lok Sze (HKG) 6-4 2-6 6-1
JDC 2009 Asia/Oceania Qualifying Final Standing
JFC 2009 Asia/Oceania Qualifying Final Standing