Number one seed Nuttanon Kadchapanan (ITF 135) justified his top billing when he beat 5th-seeded compatriot Wishaya Trongcharoenchaikul (ITF 403), 6-2, 2-6, 6-2, to win the boys' singles title at the Hong Kong ITF Junior Tournament 2010, while Chinese Taipei's 3rd-seeded Lee Pei-Chi (ITF 302) beat China's Zhu Ai-Wen (ITF 274) in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, to claim the girls' equivalent.

Roll of Honour (2004 - 2010)

Although Nuttanon Kadchapanan experienced a slight hiccup in the second set, the match was always his to take. While rankings may not guarantee any victory per se, more often than not, they aren't merely just statistics either. As Tim Henman once said, "Ranking points don't lie. You have to earn every single one of them." ¹

His 270 some places of preponderance in the rankings also tells us that he has one singles and two doubles titles under his belt, not to mention having had the experience of competing in several Grade 1 and Grade 2 events in his career thus far.

His 14-year-old opponent, on the other hand, was contesting an ITF Junior Circuit final for the first time, and his best showing prior to last week were a handful of quarterfinals at the G4 level.

In fact, he did well to force a deciding set but the No. 1 seed showed his qualities and pulled away in the end to score a 6-2, 2-6, 6-2, victory that earned him a second career title on the ITF Junior Circuit.

Last October right here at Victoria Park, Nuttanon Kadchapanan became the first player from Thailand to win the Hong Kong Open Junior Championships since Paradorn Srichaphan first accomplished the feat 15 years ago.

The 16-year-old, however, wasn't done for the day just yet.

For he would return to court later to partner Leander Lazaro of the Philippines to take the boys' doubles title as well, as they beat the No. 2-seeded tandem of Justin To and Vincent Yau, 6-4, 6-4, and in the process, thwarting the Hong Kong duo's attempt in claiming a career-first title.

This was the Thai's third career doubles title after he had picked wins at the Grade 4 LTAT - ITF Junior Tournament 3 and the Grade 3 Sarawak Chief Minister's Cup (II) in Malaysia last year.

Meanwhile on the girls' side, Chinese Taipei's Lee Pei-Chi (ITF 302) went one better than her last outing in Hong Kong when she beat No. 2 seed Zhu Ai-Wen of China, 6-3, 6-4, in the girls' singles final to secure her maiden ITF Junior Circuit title.

Last October, the 15-year-old finished runner-up to Japan's Eri Hozumi at the Hong Kong Open Junior Championships.

There was also a first for Hong Kong's Katherine Ip (ITF 652), as she teamed up with Russia's Ekaterina Klyueva to beat unseeded Cai Xi-Wei and Zhao Qianqian of China in the girls' doubles final, 6-2, 6-1, to claim her first ITF Junior Circuit title of any kind.

She had reached the semifinals in singles earlier but went down against eventual the champion in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4.

This week's event was the 14-year-old's sixth career outing in ITF Junior Circuit events, as she was not eligible age-wise to make her debut until the Hong Kong Open Junior Championships in October 2008.

Apart from the Grade 3 China Junior 1 (China Open) 2009 where she lost in the final round of the qualies, Katherine Ip has not lost earlier than the quarterfinals in singles amongst the rest of the tournaments she had entered to date.

At the time of writing, the Hong Kong native is at a new career-high No. 649 in the world.

It is worth mentioning the barnstorming run of NTS player, Jonathan Cho, who has competed in only two circuit events and has yet to hold an ITF Junior World Ranking to date.

En route to the semifinals, the 14-year-old local entry fought past No. 16 seed Akio Sy (ITF 965) in the second round, 6-2, 6-7(1), 6-2, Sylvester Alamdar, 6-2, 6-1, in the third, and Lu Xing Bang, 6-2, 1-6, 7-5, in the quarters before finally succumbing to top-seeded eventual champion, Nuttanon Kadchapanan.

The last local entry to win the Hong Kong ITF Junior Tournament (G5) was Dino Dell'Orto, who strong-armed both boys' singles and doubles in 2008 as the all-conquering top seed in both events.

Earlier in 2006, local players swept the Hong Kong ITF Junior Tournament (G5) by claiming all four titles across the board with Gilbert Wong winning the boys' singles, Gilbert Wong and Kevin Kung winning the boys' doubles, Yang Yi taking the girls' singles, and Geraldine Leong and Sher Chun Wing winning the girls' doubles.

With Hirudoid as title sponsor, the inaugural Hong Kong ITF Junior Tournament (G5) in January 2004 was captured by top seed Martin Sayer, as he beat No. 2 seed Michael Lai in the title showdown, 6-1, 6-2. His run in the boys' doubles together with 12-year-old Ryan Cheung, however, was halted in the final by Korean pair Choe Jeong-Woo and Park Dong Joon in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2.

Results
Hong Kong ITF Junior Tournament 2010 (Grade 4)
Victoria park Tennis Courts
January 11-16, 2010

BOYS' SINGLES FINAL
(1)Nuttanon Kadchapanan (THA) d. (5)Wishaya Trongcharoenchaikul (THA) 6-2 2-6 6-2

GIRLS' SINGLES FINAL
(3)Lee Pei-Chi (TPE) d. (2)Zhu Ai-Wen (CHN) 6-3 6-4

BOYS' DOUBLES FINAL
(1)Nuttanon Kadchapanan/Leander Lazaro (THA/PHI) d. (2)Justin To/Vincent Yau (HKG) 6-4 6-4

GIRLS' DOUBLES FINAL
(4)Katherine Ip/Ekaterina Klyueva (HKG/RUS) d. Cai Xi-Wei/Zhao Qianqian (CHN) 6-2 6-1

¹ Henman quote from The Quotable Tennis Player, Edited by Scott Perlstein, The Lyons Press, p. 204.