Third seed Tanya Samodelok lost to Katherine Westbury (Canterbury) in the second round of the Optus 14’s Australian National Claycourt Championships in Melbourne.  The 6-3 6-3 loss to Westbury put paid to Samodelok’s hopes of winning back to back claycourt titles in Australia.  In the 12’s age group, young Auckland junior Monica Chen was beaten 6-4 7-5 by tenth seed Stefani Stojic.

And it’s starting again ….. another season of Caro Bowl.  Friday the 29th September will be an excellent  night of tennis viewing.  There’ll be some great first round matches to look forward in the men’s compeition, in particular  the clash between Bollinger Pompallier and Head Parnell, being played at the Pomallier Tennis Club in Green Street Ponsonby.  In the women’s draw, a great contest will be between Icoco – The Coffee Shop Royal Oak and Axiom/Puma Parnell.  All of these teams will be contenders for their respective titels this year.  Click here to check out the complete draws for both the men’s and women’s competition for 2006/07.

Eleven year old Russian-born Tanya Samodelok took just under two hours to subdue second seed Cody Morris to win the Optus Australian 14’s Claycourt Lead-in tournament at Dendy Park, Victoria.  Tanya won the match 6-4 1-6 6-3 dropping her only set in the entire tournament to stun a draw full of much older opponents.  Tanya, who is travelling with her private coach John McMahon, will play the Australian Claycourt Nationals next.

Rubin Statham lost 4-6 6-4 6-3 to Andrew Kennaugh (GBR) in the first round of the Futures tournament at Happy Valley, Australia.  William Ward failed in his bid to qualify for a Futures event at Irvine, California when he lost to fifth seed Chris Lam 6-1 6-0 in the last round.

For all the latest results from the Auckland Junior Championships being played at Manukau Tennis Centre, ASB Tennis Centre and Vodafone Tennis Park: click here.

Eleven year old Tanya Samodelok beat top seed Ashley Summer to advance to the final of the Optus 14’s National Claycourt Lead-In event at the Dendy Park Club in Melbourne.  She plays second seed Cody Morris in the final.  Samodelok downed Chelsea Te Tai from North Harbour 7-5 6-3 in the quarter-final.

William Ward has won three matches in qualifying this week but needs to beat Chris Lam (USA) in the final round to reach the main draw of the Futures tournament at Irvine, California.  Lam is seeded fifth in qualifying.