First Round action on the Costa Rica Country Club courts commenced on Monday the 13th with 12 matches played on the boys draw and 11 on the girls side, leaving 4 boys and 5 girls first round singles matches for Tuesday. First round doubles matches will round out the program for Day 2.
Most boys matches went by the book with the better ranked player prevailing. But 2 of 6 seeded players went down. Michael Antonius of USA ranked 206 and in the draw from the qualy surprised Ronit KARKI, also of USA, despite KARKI`s far superior rating of 75 in a tough match at 6-7, 7-6, 6-2. The other seed that went down was no. 3 Fumin JIANG of China ranked 74 who was upset by Yubel UBRI of USA ranked 119 by a 6-3, 6-3 score. Another major upset was scored by Gray KELLEY, also in from the qualy and ranked 422, who took down Lieven MIETUSCH of Germany ranked 101 by a score of 1-6, 6-0, 6-4. Top seed Dante PAGANI of Argentina ranked 55 will take on Ryan COZAD of USA ranked 104 in what should be a thriller under the lights in night play. The rankings for this match are more typical of a semifinal match, but in a first round match on Day2.
Girls first round action was very entertaining where 4 of 5 seeds prevailed but 2 of these had to go 3 sets to do it. Top matches were those of Julieta PAREJA of USA ranked 75 who defeated Alyssa JAMES of Jamaica ranked 143 in one of these tough 3 setters by 6-1, 4-6, 6-3. Julieta has the best WTN rating in the field and at only 15 years of age is a real threat to go all the way. Romanian Giulia Safina POPA ranked 76 and seeded 6 also had to go 3 sets to defeat wild card Hannah ARYAULT of USA ranked 270 by 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. There were 2 upsets: one where 231 ranked Sarina Schnyder of Switzerland surprised Sabrina LIN of USA ranked 167 by a score of 6-1, 3-6, 6-3; and the other where 240 ranked Carie Ann HOO of USA easily prevailed over Yeva GALIEVSKA of Ukraine ranked 160 by a surprising 6-1, 6-1. Of the 5 girls first round matches remaining to be played on Tuesday, 3 of these include the top 3 seeds.
