News

31/12/07

Happy New Year to all former and future Smrikva Bowl players

There are many Smrikva Bowl and “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl players that have obtained extraordinary results during the current year 2007 and most of them have significantly progressed on various ranking lists since the beginning of the year. Every player about whom we write in this news section has deserved our congratulations.

I wish to each players another good and successful 2008 and I also hope that we will have another nice and successful Smrikva Bowl. Hopefully we will keep the top quality of the players and we are pleased to announce that there are five new countries at the moment that have applied for the next Smrikva Bowl.

All the best to each player and their families and all the best to each Smrikva Bowl Honorary Members.

Thanks to all of you for the support and for spreading the word about Smrikva Bowl :).

Warmest regards,

Smrikva Bowl Staff

Please visit www.smrikve.com to learn more about Smrikve, Istria from Smrikve, Smrikva Bowl, one of the most important under 10 tennis tournaments in the World, and Villa Smrikve, for your accommodation with swimming pool in Stinjan (Pula – Pola) if you decide to spent your holiday in Istria, Croatia.

29/12/07

Giacomo Miccini lost against Cesar Ramirez in the semifinals of the 30th Copa Internacional Juvenil Casablanca in Mexico City

Giacomo Miccini played very well this important under 18 tennis Grade A tournament and the results towards the semifanals were the following:

First round: G. Miccini – Raymond Sarmiento (USA) 6:3, 6:2.
Second round: G. Miccini – Evan King (USA) 6:7, 6:3, 6:3.
Third round: G. Miccini – Mikhail Biryukov (RUS) 7:6, 7:6.
Quarterfinals: G. Miccini – Yannik Reuter (BEL) 6:3, 1:6, 7:6.

In the semifinals Giacomo Miccini lost against Cesar Ramirez from Mexico, ranked #22 on ITF ranking list and born in 1990: 6:7, 6:3, 6:0.

Giaccomo Miccini is from Italy and he was the 7th Smrikva Bowl 2002 runner up. Giacomo Miccini is currently ranked #86 on ITF ranking list and he trains at Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Miccini is one of the best players in the World in his age group (1992).

In girls doubles group, Ajla Tomljanovic with Tamaryn Hendler lost in the finals against Krista Damico and Nadja Gilchrist, 6:3, 6:2.

Ajla Tomljanovic ranked 2nd on 7th Smrikva Bowl 2002 and 3rd on 8th Smrikva Bowl 2003. Ajla Tomljanovic is born in 1993 and she is also, like Giacomo Miccini, among the top players in the World in her age group.

27/12/07

A nice article about George Morgan's victory on the 46th Junior Orange Bowl on www.lta.org.uk and on Junior Orange Bowl internet site. Also Eleanor Dean is mentioned. "Morgan wins Orange Bowl."

Lancashire’s George Morgan finished off 2007 in style claiming the prestigious 14 & under Junior Orange Bowl title with a 3-6 6-4 6-1 victory over America’s Spencer Newman.

The 6ft 2” teenager had showed tremendous determination to come back from 3-0 in the third set the previous day during a tense semi final win over Shane Vinsant (USA) was equally impressive in the final. Unruffled despite losing a close first set, Morgan was the better player in the second set and full of confidence, raced to victory in the third set.

Head of Men’s Tennis Paul Hutchins was court side to watch the final; “It was very pleasing to see a British winner in the Orange Bowl and George fully deserved his win against a very quick and agile opponent. It is a positive step forward for other players to realise we are able to win at this level and will help to raise the standards. After a successful Florida tour it was a tribute to Leon Smith Colin Beecher and Iain Hughes who were coaching and managing the boys in the 12s and 14s. We look forward to continuing the great relationship we have with the HPCs at Nottingham and Loughborough under martin weston where George is based.”

George has worked hard and competed well all year and this is a great way to end what has been very successful year – Leon Smith.

Leon Smith, Head of the 16 & under boys added; ” This is a great achievement for George and will act as a springboard for 2008. George has worked hard and competed well all year and this is a great way to end what has been very successful year. Winning the Orange Bowl is always a good achievement in junior tennis and will give George the belief that he can win on the international stage.”

Morgan, who is coached by Martin Weston at Loughborough and Nottingham Tennis Centre has dominated the domestic scene in 2007 winning the 14 & under national championships in both singles and doubles in August and the 14 & under Masters event earlier in the year.

The Junior Orange Bowl International Tennis Championship is considered to be one of the most important junior tennis tournaments in the world. Now entering its 46th year, the International Tennis Championship is open to the very best 12 & under and 14 & under players from all around the world. This is the first time a British player has won the 14 & under title since Jamie Delgado beat Gustavo Cavallaro 6-3 6-3 in the final in 1991. Past finalists include Jim Courier, Andre Agassi, and current top 20 ATP stars Fernando Gonzalez and Tommy Haas.

Earlier in the week there were promising performances from Eleanor Dean who reached the last 16 of the 12 & under event with Billy Harris, Chris Pearce and Evan Hoyt reaching the same stage in the boys’ event. Laura Robson also had a good week. reaching the last 16 of the girls’ 14 & under event.

Please find below also few comments I found from George Morgan that he said after the victory over Spencer Newman.

England’s George Morgan admitted to some nerves in the boys 14s finals, with local favorite Spencer Newman quickly taking the first set from the tall right-hander. “I was quite nervous to start, because I’m not used to these kinds of crowds,” said Morgan of the scores of spectators lining the courts and perching in the bleachers at the Biltmore Tennis Center. But down a break in the second set, Morgan found a strategy to help him cope. “I took some deep breaths, thought about what I needed to do and concentrated really hard,” Morgan, a No. 17 seed, said. “I was waiting for the right ball instead of attacking the wrong ball, and I was making a lot more balls than him.”

After Morgan took the lead in the second set, capturing four straight games to go up 5-3, the nerves again took hold, and he committed two double faults at 30-30, giving Newman a chance to take the momentum back. But at 4-5, Newman fell behind 15-40, and Morgan smoked a forehand on the baseline on the third set point to level the match. “When I was up a break, I just started thinking about too many things,” said Newman, a No. 9 seed. “I got myself too nervous and I just couldn’t play. My feet would not move. I should have put more balls in play like him.”

Morgan joins Andy Murray, who won the 12s in 1999, as a Junior Orange Bowl champion from Great Britain. After hoping merely to reach the quarterfinals, he admitted to some satisfaction at his performance. “I’m pleased with myself after that win,” he said, offering that it meant “loads” to take an Jr. Orange Bowl title in his first attempt. “It’s like a dream really. I think I’ve made a name for myself back in England now, as well.”

George Morgan is from UK and he was the 8th Smrikva Bowl runner up. George Morgan also traveled to Austin, in Texas, to play 2nd “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl and he contributed to the victory of the Smrikva Bowl team that year. Eleanor Dean is also from UK and she won the 11th Smrikva Bowl 2006 and she is another rising UK tennis star.

Congratulations George and Eleanor!

25/12/07

An article about Smrikva Bowl on a new Italian tennis website www.tennisoncourt.com

Ivan Sabatini is a great fun and supporter of Giacomo Miccini. Miccini was in the finals of the 7th Smrikva Bowl 2002 and thanks to Giacomo Miccini Ivan became a new Smrikva Bowl friend. Ivan Sabatini write about junior players on www.tennisteen.it and is also the editor of Giacomo Miccini’s Blog on www.giacomomiccini.com. Few weeks ago Ivan told me that he started with some friend a new Italian tennis website www.tennisoncourt.com and he asked me if I could write someting for his readers. I was thinking for a little and decide that I could write something about Smrikva Bowl. Enclosed is the first article that I realized for Ivan and for www.tennisoncourt.com and every two weeks I will write something for his readers.

Qualche settimana fa’ Ivan Sabatini mi chiese se potessi offrirgli una qualche collaborazione visto che con alcuni amici ha deciso di creare www.tennisoncourt.com , un nuovo portale di tennis, ancora tutto da costruire.

Ivan, tra le altre cose, cura anche il blog di Giacomo Miccini che nel mio torneo e’ arrivato in finale e ci ho pensato un attimo come potrei aiutarlo in questa sua nuova impresa. L’idea che mi venne in mente era quella di raccontare meglio ai suoi lettori il torneo che ho creato e magari qualche annedotto legato a qualche giovane ragazzo Italiano che potrebbe essere d’interesse ai lettori del portale. Chiaramente vi scrivero’ anche di altri ragazzi bravi che sono passati per il mio torneo.

Io per tanti anni ho vissuto in Italia, la maggior parte degli anni a Milano, e sicuramente non sarei riuscito a creare Smrikva Bowl, questo grande torneo per i piu’ piccoli, se non avessi incontrato tanta gente straordinaria nel vostro bel paese. Tanti mi hanno aiutato, alcuni fin dall’inizio, e altri si sono inseriti successivamente, contribuendo a far crescere lo Smrikva Bowl anno dopo anno.

Cosi’ le cose che scriverei in questa rubbrica, che Ivan ha deciso di chiamare “Smrikva Bowl Passato e Futuro”, sarebbero dedicate anche a loro, a questa gente che aiuta i bambini perche’ possano sognare durante il mio torneo e magari un giorno anche realizzare questo sogno.

Ronzio Oleodinamica e la famiglia Ronzio di Milano ha sponsorizzato Smrikva Bowl fin dal primo anno. Questa famiglia Milanese ha fatto molto per il torneo e mi ricordo che quel primo anno, oltre le biciclette, abbiamo addiritura portato il gelato da Milano per i bambini. Non era un gelato qualunque, ma era fatto a mano dai parenti della Ester Arini Ronzio che da decenni fa un ottimo gelato e noi l’abbiamo messo in mezzo a tanto ghiaccio perche’ non si sciogliesse fino a Pola. Volevamo far assagiare ai bambini un gelato buonissimo e questo era lo spirito con cui nasceva il torneo.

Marco Girardini venne allo Smrikva Bowl con Martina Caregaro nel 2002 e il torneo li piacque talmente tanto che voleva aiutarmi in qualche modo a farlo crescere e mi fece conoscere Claudio Calza e Luca Appino.

Claudio Calza collabora con il Tennis Italiano e fece uscire un bellissimo articolo sullo Smrikva Bowl nel novembre del 2002. Claudio Montanelli lesse quell’articolo ed anche lui si inaomoro’ presto del torneo. Montanelli ha una figlia Sara a cui piace il tennis e nel 2003 Claudio porto’ Sara a Pola per partecipare allo Smrikva Bowl. Montanelli voleva a tutti i costi aiutarmi e decise che avrebbe regalato i due biglietti aerei ai miei finalisti perche’ potessero disputtare la seconda edizione del “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl che si giocava negli Stati Uniti quell’anno.

Montanelli e’ un imprenditore e la sua azienda MV Fotolito opera all’interno della grande azienda di stampa storica Milanese, Ottavio Capriolo. Grazie al suo lavoro a Montanelli venne l’idea che sarebbe bello fare una brochure del torneo. Presto mi convinse che avremmo fatto la brochure per i bambini e che l’avrebbe prodotta lui. Claudio ha un grande cuore e aiuta tante persone. A parte essere l’imprenditore e’ anche un chitarrista e cantautore. Organizza i concerti di beneficienza e di recente sta aiutando anche una giovane cantante Italiana ad emergere. Questo amico aiuta anche me e lo Smrikva Bowl da diversi anni. Praticamente da quell’anno mi regala ogni anno 1000 copie di questa splendida brochure di oltre 60 pagine che io regalo ai bambini, miei Ambasciatori del torneo. Questa brochure contribuisce a presentare il torneo in un modo del tutto speciale.

L’altra persona che divenne amica dello Smrikva Bowl grazie a Marco Girardini e’ Luca Appino. Luca Appino e’ la persona che nella vita professionale riusci’ a sviluppare il business della rachetta di Babolat. I grandi personaggi del tennis come Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick, Kim Clijsters e diversi altri furono trovati da Luca quando erano piccoli e sconosciuti. Mentre Luca era alla Babolat mi sponsorizzava sempre con le rachette e le palline da tennis e oggi quando si occupa dello sviluppo dell’Academia di Patrick Mouratoglou di Parigi ha deciso di offrire ai miei vincitori sette giorni di stage gratuiti in questa grande academia. Luca come Claudio mi aiuto’ senza conoscerci e divenne un grande amico.

Negli anni l’elenco di persone che contribuiscono a far crescere lo Smrikva Bowl e’ diventato molto lungo e questi amici provengono da tanti paesi del Mondo ma per i lettori dello www.tennisoncourt.com volevo segnalarvi in particolare alcuni che provengono dall’Italia.

Lo svolgimento dello Smrikva Bowl dura da 12 anni e in questi anni oltre 5000 persone: giocatori, genitori, fratelli e sorrelle dei giocatori, i loro nonni e allenatori, da 25 paesi e da 4 continenti hanno vissuto questa esperienza e vorrei che questo raconto sia dedicato anche a loro.

Ivan ha deciso che la rubrica si sarebbe chiamata “Smrikva Bowl Passato e Futuro” e io con questo primo scritto ho voluto indicarvi un po quelli che sarebbero i temi trattati in questa rubrica e volevo ricordare qualche persona a me particolarmente cara dell’Italia che mi aiuta a rendere speciale questo evento. Nel prossimo articolo cerchero’ di spiegarvi meglio “Che cosa e’ lo Smrikva Bowl?”.

Proprio ieri si e’ conclusa la 46.esima edizione del Junior Orange Bowl negli Stati Uniti ed i due migliori risultati tra gli ex-giocatori dello Smrikva Bowl li hanno ottenuti l’Italiano Matteo Donati e l’Inglese George Morgan. Matteo Donati, vincitore del 10.Smrikva Bowl 2005, nella categoria under 12 del Junior Orange Bowl arrivo’ in semifinale e l’Inglese George Morgan, nella categoria under 14, finalista del 8. Smrikva Bowl 2003, vinse il torneo. Una settimana prima questi due ragazzi ottenero un grande risultato anche ad un’altro prestigioso torneo che si gioca negli Stati Unito e si chiama Prince Cup. Matteo Donati vinse il torneo under 12 e George Morgan arrivo’ in finale nella categoria under 14. Questi risultati sono un bel regalo di Natale anche allo Smrikva Bowl :).

Un caro saluto ai lettori di www.tennisoncourt.com e auguri di Buon Natale e Buon Anno fino al prossimo articolo sullo Smrikva Bowl che arrivera’ fra due settimane.

24/12/07

Good news from Adelchi Bobo Virgili

Adelchi Bobo Virgili is from Florence in Italy and he won the 5th Smrikva Bowl 2000. I wrote several times about his extraordinary talent but since 2004 Adelchi Virgili had strong phisical problems with his back.

After first problems he was forced not to train for 5 months. The back pain problems are mainly due to an error in heavy weights trainings. Adelchi Bobo Virgili was not able to run and after 45 minutes of play he had to stop.

In April 2007, Adelchi Virgili – Bobo trained with Rafael Nadal in Monte Carlo and about 50 spectators enjoyed that training. Bobo showed his great talent and Toni Nadal, Rafa’s uncle, said for Adelchi:” I consider him a phenomenon since he was 14 years old… unfortunately Bobo has this pain in his back that has blocked his progress… he lost at least two years… now he is 17 years old and there are other good players but Bobo has a strong will… the problems is only to see if he will be able to solve his back pain problems.”

Riccardo Piatti, Ivan Ljubicic’s trainer, continue to believe in Bobo Virgili and thanks to Riccardo Piatti, Adelchi trained this year in Monte Carlo with Nikolay Davydenko and Ivan Ljubicic. In training with Ivan Ljubicic he lost a set 6:4 but was leading 3:0.

From June till November of this year Adelchi did not play for the same back pain problems. He grew up a lot this year and now is 1.87 meters tall.

The good news is that a healing from Siena named Giampaolo Capannoli helped Adelchi with his back pain. It was the Italian tennis player Paolo Lorenzi, whose parents are doctors, to propose Giampaolo Capannoli to Virgili family. After the treatment Virgili played and easly won a C cathegory tournament in Sesto Fiorentino without back pain problems.

From 1st – 23rd of December Adelchi Bobo Virgili trained at Monte Carlo under Riccardo Piatti supervision with Filippo Volandri, Ivan Ljubicic and George Bastle. During the training programme Virgili showed how strong he could be. The spanish Salva Sosa, Ivan Ljubicic’s historical phyisical trainer, supervised Bobo’s physical preparation in the body gym and hopefully we can see Adelchi playing next year among the top players as he would deserve.

Good luck Bobo!

24/12/07

Very successful December (2007) for Matteo Donati. Matteo Donati reached the semifinals of the 46th Junior Orange Bowl Championship (under 12 age group) and was the winner of the Prince Cup a week before.

Junior Orange Bowl is one of the most important Junior International Tennis Championships. It is played in Florida in the USA. The Qualifying Draw was played from December 14th till December 16th, 2007 and the Main Draw was played from December 17th till December 23rd, 2007.

Matteo Donati is from Italy and he was the 10th Smrikva Bowl winner. Matteo Donati also played 4th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl and contributed to the victory of the Smrikva Bowl team that year. On the 46th Junior Orange Bowl 2007 in the under 12 age group Matteo Donati reached the semifinals and the single results towards the semifinals were as follows:

First round: Matteo Donati – Kenta Miyoshi (JPN) 6:1, 6:1.
Second round: Matteo Donati – David Hsu (USA) 6:1, 6:0.
Third round: Matteo Donati – Baker S. Newman (USA) 6:3, 6:1. Fourht round: Matteo Donati – Ivan Divkovic (BiH) 6:2, 6:3. Quarterfinals: Matteo Donati – Justin Butsch (USA) 6:4, 6:4. Semifinals: Matteo Donati – Joseph Di Giulio (USA) 3:6, 4:6.

In 2005 Matteo Donati participated the Smrikva Bowl with his coach Roberto Marchigiani. Matteo Donati at that time already had an excellent tecnique and what is interesting that Matteo likes to watch other tennis players and he is able later on on the training to reproduce the shoots he likes of the other players. I think that this is very important to be able to learn by watching the other players. Probably Djokovic’s imitations when he made jokes of the other players in end is a gift because he is able to play the shoots in a way the other players do. This way he can choose shoots he prefer. The results obtained this week confirm that Matteo Donati’s progress continued over time and he deserves all congratulations.

I would like to remined the readers that a week before Orange Bowl Championship, Matteo Donati won the Prince Cup tournament in the under 12 age group cathegory that was played in Miami in the USA from 6th-9th December 2007. The draw was made of 64 players and Matteo’s road towards the victory was the following:

First round: Matteo Donati – Nile Clark (USA) 6:0, 6:0.
Second round: Matteo Donati-Luke Bambridge (UK)6:1,1:6,10:5.
Third round: Matteo Donati – Antoine Mailloux (CAN) 6:1, 6:1.
Quarterfinals: Matteo Donati – Henri Parocki (UK) 6:0, 6:1.
Semifinals: Matteo Donati – Borna Coric (CRO) 6:4, 6:2.
Finals: Matteo Donati – Federico Silva (POR) 6:1, 6:1.

Well done Matteo!

Few days ago I was exchanging the greetings with Matteo Donati’s trainer Roberto Marchegiani and I was congratulating him for Matteo’s results and Roberto said to me:”L’avventura di Matteo e’ iniziata da Lei e spero lo porti a raggiungere il suo sogno” that means:”Matteo’s adventure started with Smrikva Bowl and hopefully his dreams will become true one day”.

24/12/07

George Morgan is the winner, in the under 14 age group, of the 46th Junior Orange Bowl Championship and was the finalist of the Prince Cup.

George Morgan is from UK and he was the 8th Smrikva Bowl runner up. George Morgan also traveled to Austin, in Texas, to play 2nd “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl and he contributed to the victory of the Smrikva Bowl team that year. On the 46th Junior Orange Bowl 2007 in the under 14 age group George Morgan won the tournament and the single results towards the victory were as follows:

First round: George Morgan – Jens Hauser (CHI) 6:2, 6:0.
Second round: George Morgan – Vladmir Stojovic (SRB) 6:1, 6:2. Third round: George Morgan – Daniel J. McCall (USA) 6:4, 6:1. Fourth round: George Morgan – Dennis Novikov (USA)6:4,7:5,6:1. Quarterfinals: George Morgan – Matias Sborowitz (CHI) 6:3, 6:0. Semifinals: George Morgan – Shane Vinsant (USA) 6:3, 2:6, 7:5. Finals: George Morgan – Spencer F. Newman (USA) 3:6, 6:3, 7:5.

In 2003 George Morgan participated the Smrikva Bowl with his coach Brian McFadden that also this year was with other players from UK on the tournament and I was very pleased when he told me that George Morgan has very nice memories from our tournament. George was tall and that time and his shoots were sharp, strong and clean. The results obtained this week confirm that his progress continued over time.

Well done George!

I would like to remined the readers that a week before Orange Bowl Championship, George Morgan arrived in the finals of the Prince Cup tournament in the under 14 age group cathegory that was played in Miami in the USA from 6th-9th December 2007. The draw was made of 64 players and George’s road towards the finals was the following:

First round: George Morgan – Hernan Vasconez (ECU) 6:2, 6:4.
Second round: G.Morgan – Connor Glennon (UK) 3:6, 6:3, 10:5.
Third round: George Morgan – Maksim Kan (UZB) 6:2, 6:0.
Quarterfinals: George Morgan – Matias Sborowitz (CHI) 7:5, 7:5.
Semifinals: George Morgan – Andrew Bettles 6:0, 6:3.
Finals: George Morgan – Diego Hidalgo (ECU) 6:3, 3:6, 5:10.

Congratulations again George!

22/12/07

Santa Claus from the land of perpetual snow visited Smrikve today :)

Santa Claus from the land of perpetual snow visited Smrikve today at noon and brought over 30 presents for 30 good boys and girls that train at the Smrikve Tennis Club. It was nice to see children talking with Santa Claus and singing for him Jingle Bell with the accordion. Last year Santa Claus played tennis with them while this year they were singing together and after receiving the presents the kids and Santa Claus went near the fireplace and together tasted some very good Istrian prosciutto and cheese.

One legend associated with Santa Claus says that he lives in the far north, in a land of perpetual snow. The American version of Santa Claus lives at the North Pole, while Father Christmas or Snow Grandfather is said to reside in Finland. Other mythological details include that he is married and lives with Mrs. Claus; that he makes a list of children throughout the world, categorizing them according to their behavior; that he delivers presents, including toys, candy, and other presents to all of the good boys and girls in the world, and that he accomplishes this feat with the aid of magical elves who make the toys, and flying reindeer who pull his sleigh.

19/12/07

Bogdan Alexandru Borza, 12th Smrikva Bowl runner up, together with Alexandru Ciprian Porumb junior, is another talented Romanian player

I am pleased to share with the readers a nice article written by Dan Henegar about Romanian rising tennis talent Bogdan Borza who lost in the finals of the 12th Smrikva Bowl 2007 against Italian Sacha Merzetti. The article was published on the internet page www.ziarulunirea.ro.

Bogdan Alexandru Borza is 10 years old player and together with Alexandru Ciprian Porumb, under 14 European Tennis Champion, who ranked 3rd on the 8th Smrikva Bowl 2003, is among the most talented rising Romanian junior tennis players. As you can note they have in common the second name Alexandru and who knows if their common dream about becoming top tennis players one day may become true. Probably one of the greatest dreamer in the men’s kind history was Alexandros III Philippou Makedonon, Alexander the Great, who realized many of his dreams and maybe this important name, that also they bring, will help them in realizing their dreams :).

This year Smrika Bowl final between Borza and Merzetti was among the most beautiful finals in the Smrikva Bowl history. It was like the final between Nadal and Nadal :). They both have as example the tennis star Rafael Nadal and they behave before the match in a very similar manner Rafael Nadal does.

Bogdan Borza and Sacha Merzetti both have an increadible energy, determination and good technique. It was very funny when one mum wanted to compliment with Bogdan and she said to him you looks like Roger Federer and she said that because really Bogdan had a similar dress, body and the game to Federer’s one, but Bogdan answered to that compliment:”No, I am like Nadal”. This was very funny to me :). On the other side, the other finalist, Sacha Merzetti, had the dress similar to Nadal’s one. In end they both wanted to be like Nadal :). It is interesting that this was the second time that this two players played in the finals against each other and the first time in Rome on the Lemon Bowl the winner was Borza and this time on the Smrikva Bowl the winner was Sacha Merzetti.

Bogdan’s father speaks very well Italian so we had the opportunity to speak several times and I was really surprised when he told me that Bogdan train by his own playing with older players in his town. This was increadible for me for the clean tecnique and such a good game that Bogdan has reached in this age group. I hope Bogdan will find a good trainer in the future who will follow him and allow him to further develop his good game.

If you understand Romanian enjoy the article and if you understand French, Spanish or Italian you will also be able to understand it.

O nouă performanţă de răsunet pentru Bogdan Borza
l Tenismenul cugirean a devenit vicecampion al prestigiosului turneu internaţional din Croaţia

Recent, în localitatea Pula (Istria) din Croaţia s-a desfăşurat a 12-a ediţie a întrecerii de tenis juvenil “Smrikva Bowl” – unul dintre cele mai tari turnee internaţionale din Europa rezervate copiilor de 10 ani. La competiţie s-au înscris sportivi din Austria, Belarus, Bosnia, Canada, Croaţia, Cehia, Anglia, Germania, Estonia, Ungaria, Italia, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Muntenegru, Polonia, Rusia, Arabia Saudită, Serbia, SUA (au participat cei mai bine clasaţi doi competitori din fiecare ţară), România fiind reprezentată de cugireanul Bogdan Alexandru Borza (numărul unu în ierarhia internă, al treilea favorit al concursului) şi Sergiu Bucur (Constanţa).

“Diamantul” nostru, talentatul Alexandru Borza şi-a dovedit din plin calităţile şi în Croaţia, iar după ce la începutul anului a câştigat la Roma “Lemon Bowl 2007” (un veritabil campionat european), acum s-a calificat în ultimul act. Având un prim tur liber, precocele jucător a trecut pe rând de Karlo Lozic (numărul trei în ierarhia Croaţiei) – în turul secund (scor 9-1, s-au jucat un singur set); Filip Grbic (numărul unu în Serbia), în “16”, imi (scor 9-2); Miguel Semmler Arranzo (numărul doi în Spania), în “sferturi” (scor 9-4); Sergiu Bucur (numărul doi în România) – în semifinale (scor 9-0). În finală a dat peste italianul Sacha Mersetti (favoritul principal), care şi-a luat revanşa în urma înfrângerii administrate de Bogdan în finala de la Roma şi s-a impus cu 6-1, 6-3. Şi aşa, performanţa tenismenului de sub Drăgana este una răsunătoare (patru victorii şi o singură înfrângere), vicecampion într-o întrecere extrem de puternică (elita jucătorilor de 10 ani de pe “Bătrânul continent”), el fiind primul român din istorie care s-a calificat în finală! În continuarea turneului s-a mai disputat un meci între selecţionatele Europei şi Statelor Unite ale Americii, confruntare în care Bogdan a câştigat întâlnirea cu Tommy Paul (numărul doi) – scor 6-4,7-5 şi a pierdut jocul cu Eduardo Nava (numărul unu al americanilor) – scor 7-6, 1-6, 5-10 (la tie-break). Uluitoare comportare, în condiţiile unui turneu de calibru, cu un grad sporit de dificultate, Alexandru Bogdan Borza anunţând de pe acum un potenţial extraordinar.

Că şcoala de tenis din Cugir nu se dezminte o dovedeşte şi rezultatul obţinut de Rareş Andriuc (11 ani), care recent, la Campionatele Naţionale desfăşurate la Bucureşti (Centrul Naţional de Tenis), categoria 12 ani, deşi cu un an mai mic, a izbutit să acceadă în “careul de aşi”, între primii patru sportivi, calificându-se în semifinale. Felicitări!

19/12/07

Few words from Jose Gracia from Florida on his stay in Smrikve when he played 4th"Little Mo"/Smrikva Bowl. In addition you can visit Jose's picture near the Arena of Pula.

I was very pleased to find few words of Jose Gracia of his experience during his visit to Pula and Croatia and I was really happy to find the picture of Jose Gracia near the Arena of Pula :).

Jose Gracia was selected by the MCB tennis foundation to represent the USA “Little Mo” team on the 4th annual “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl 2005. Jose is a very talented player and I have some very nice memories of Jose and his father that came with him in Smrikve for the tournament. His father’s origin is Mexican and I was pleased when he shared with me his life experience. It is nice to see how today his son can work on his dream for a better future. Jose is today among the best players in the USA and he really enjoy the game. I remember that he also like to play doubles because he can have even more fun being on the court with other player and Jose is very good in creating friendships with other players.

Jose Gracia’s father works as the cooker in the USA and he likes the Italian food. When he was leaving my home he told me that he was flying to the US from Milan and that he would like to allow his son Jose to taste some of the best pasta restaurant in Milan. I worked for many years in Milan and recommended him to go in the restaurant of my good friend that is located near the famous Scala Theater in the center of Milan. I wrote the adress of the restaurant on our visit card and gave it to him. The next time I was in that restaurant in Milan my friend showed me the visit card that I gave to Mr. Garcia :) so I am sure they had the opportunity to taste one of the best pasta in Milan.

Please find as follows the words of Jose Gracia during a short interview with www.usatennisflorida.usta.com

José Gracia has been playing tennis since he was three. His long-term goals are to be number one in the world and to win all four grand slams. José loves tennis because of the challenge, and claims that his father, (also his coach,) has to pull him off the court at the end of the day. José is passionate and determined to achieve his Tennis goals.

José’s favorite subject in school is Math, and there is a strictly implemented policy at the Gracia household: finish your homework before you play! “It’s a rule,” young José said.

At the “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl in Croatia, José enjoyed the fabulous sites during his time away from the court. “It was awesome,” he said. He met many nice people in Croatia, and he made friends from Italy, Austria and all over the world who were participating in the tournament.

“I love tennis because it’s very challenging and it’s one of the greatest sports,” José said. “I always mean business when I am on the court.”

19/12/07

Eleanor Dean a possible future Tennis Star on www.expatica.com, "Simply the best: Wimbledon champion of tomorrow?"

Eleanor Dean is from Great Britain and she was the outperformer of the 11th Smrikva Bowl 2006 when she won that edition. Eleanor Dean also contributed to the victory of the Smrikva Bowl team on the 5th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl against the “Little Mo” team from the USA. Eleanor Dean lives and trains in Spain at Marco Tennis Academy. The particular that I remeber is that we had the problem with the mountain bike transfer and Eleanor had to wait several months for herr trophy. Eleanor Dean have wounderful parents and also her trainer Marco is a very nice person. Sorry again Eleanor for that bike delay :).

The article that follows appeared in the magazine Dreamlife, which has a circulation of 60,000 in the Costa del Sol. See: www.dreamlife-magazine.com and also was published on www.expatica.com in february 2007.

Please enjoy this nice article about Eleanor Dean a possible future Tennis Star.

Simply the best: Wimbledon champion of tomorrow?

We all know British tennis star Andy Murray trained in Barcelona, but did you know another British world champion player (aged 10) plays on the Costa del Sol?

It may seem a bit early to be talking about Wimbledon, but in the competitive world of tennis, there’s no let-up in the preparation for the world’s most famous tournament.

And what better place to forecast the future of the British game than in sunny Spain, where you can train outdoors to your heart’s content.

And making the most of the training facilities at the Marco Tennis Academy in Elviria is ten year old Eleanor Dean, who’s been training there for three years and is already the world champion (yes, world champion) in the 10 and Under category. And guess what? She’s British!

“After tennis training, I do one hour of just physical training every day,” explains Eleanor, a fluent and intelligent talker, already au fait with the demands of the game and the necessity to talk to the media in this age of Internet communication and 24-hour news.

And she’s open about her approach to big tournaments: “At first you’re a bit nervous, because you watch the other players practising next to you and you think ‘wow, they are so good!’ but then once you get onto the court and you feel how they hit the ball, then it’s fine.

“I feel excited then, because I know I am going to enjoy the match. It feels great to win. It’s fun to be holding the trophy while everyone is taking pictures.”

A British player who enjoys winning? It seems somewhat at odds with the traditional British schooling of ‘it’s the taking part that matters’.

She demonstrates her ambition with an aggressive rasping cross-court volley to her coach Andres Marco (one half of the Marco tennis empire – his brother Daniel is also enthusiastically involved with the centre).

Eleanor’s pleasant nature seems somewhat at odds with her on-court presence, but that’s all part of the psychology of lulling your opponent into a false sense of security.

“We have trained and if I may say ‘created’ some top class international juniors,” says Marco with pride.

“When you go to tournaments you see lots of dogs but very few wolves, because the number of factors which create a true champion are enormous – physical condition, the ability to learn, dealing with stress and having the intelligence to really understand the game.

“The game has also had an incredible evolution, it is far more professional than it was even fifteen years ago. You now have amazing bio-mechanical and audio-visual aids to track your performance. It’s far more competitive than it used to be.”

And it’s not just about enhancing your own skills; you need to pay close attention to the opposition.

Marco’s protégé is already on the case: “I see a lot of tennis on TV,” says Eleanor. “I was watching Maria Sharapova playing another girl and I noticed she was serving slices to this girl because she wasn’t very good on her backhand. All the players have different tactics.”

So, with all this information, ability and drive, what does Eleanor aspire to be? Her answer is swift and unequivocal. “Number One.”

18/12/07

The results of some Smrikva Bowl and "Little Mo"/Smrikva Bowl players on 46th under 12 and under 14 Junior Orange Bowl 2007. George Morgan won the finals of the 46th Junior Orange Bowl in the under 14 age group.

Junior Orange Bowl is one of the most important Junior International Tennis Championships. It is played in Florida in the USA. The Qualifying Draw under 12 and under 14 was played from December 14th till December 16th, 2007 and the Main Draw was played from December 17th till December 23rd, 2007.

George Morgan is from UK and he was the 8th Smrikva Bowl runner up and he also traveled to Austin, in Texas, to play 2nd “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl. On the 46th Junior Orange Bowl 2007 in the under 14 age group George Morgan won the tournament!

The players that lost in the first round are: Saska Gavrilovska, Vladica Babic, Caroline Kandler, Olga O. Fridman, Harry Busby, Jose E Gracia, Tommy Paul, Dominic Thiem, Ciprian Porumb.

The player that lost in the second round is Silvia Njiric.

The players that lost in the third round are: Luka Ilic, Donna Vekic, Jasmina Stor, Christine Kandler and Jennifer Ren.

The players that lost in the fourth round are: Eleanor Dean, Gianluigi Quinzi and Ivan Divkovic.

The players that lost in the quarterfinals are: Olga Ianchuk, Borna Coric and Emmett A. Egger.

The player that lost in the semifinals is Matteo Donati.

Smrikva Bowl and “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl player that competed on the 46th Junior Orange Bowl 2007 and their results are the following:

Girls
UNDER 12
Olga Ianchuk is from Ukraina and she was 10th Smrikva Bowl 2005 runner up. Olga also played 4th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl. Olga Ianchuk won in the first round of 46th under 12 Junior Orange Bowl against Ana LL Pintado from Mexico 6:2, 6:1. In the second round Olga Ianchuk defeated Gyungeun Song from Korea 6:2, 7:5. In the third round Olga Ianchuk defeated Gabrielle Smith from the USA 6:1, 6:2. In the fourth round Olga Ianchuk won against Victoria Tomova from Bulgaria 6:1, 6:4. In the quarterfinals Olga Ianchuk lost against Madison Keys from the USA 6:3, 6:2.

Eleanor Dean is from UK and she won 11th Smrikva Bowl 2006. Eleanor also played 5th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl. Eleanor Dean is seed #1 and she won the first round of 46th under 12 Junior Orange Bowl against Antonella Altamirano from Ecuador by 6:0, 6:0. In the second round Eleanor Dean defeated Tina Jiang from the USA 6:3, 6:3. In the third round Eleanor Dean defeated Lou Brouleau from France 7:5, 6:1. In the fourth round Eleanor Dean lost against Ayaka Okuno from the USA 6:2, 6:3.

Jasmina Stor is from Slovenia and she played Smrikva Bowl. Jasmina Stor won in the first round of 46th under 12 Junior Orange Bowl against Suna Song from Korea 7:6, 6:3. In the second round Jasmina Stor defeated Celine Lenertz from Australia 6:1, 7:5. In the third round Jasmina Stor lost against Emily Fanning from New Zealand 6:4, 6:1.

Donna Vekic is from Croatia and she played several times Smrikva Bowl. Donna Vekic won the first round of 46th under 12 Junior Orange Bowl against Anna Davydova from Russia 6:3, 6:0. In the second round Donna Vekic defeated Lexi Borr from the USA 6:4, 6:2. In the third round Donna Vekic lost against Indy De Vroome 7:5, 6:3.

Saska Gavrilovska is from Serbia and she won 9th and 10th Smrikva Bowl 2004 and 2005. Saska also played 3rd and 4th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl. Saska lost in the first round of 46th under 12 Junior Orange Bowl against Jan Q Abaza from the USA 0:6, 7:5, 7:6.

Olga O. Fridman is from Ukraina and she also played Smrikva Bowl. Olga Fridman lost in the first round of 46th under 12 Junior Orange Bowl against Francoise Abanda from Canada 6:2, 6:1.

Caroline Kandler is from Austria and she and her sister played Smrikva Bowl. Caroline lost in the first round of 46th under 12 Junior Orange Bowl against Kanami Tsuji from Japan 6:0, 6:3.

Vladica Babic is from Montenegro and she played Smrikva Bowl. Vladica lost in the first round of 46th under 12 Junior Orange Bowl against India Q Hart 7:6, 6:2.

UNDER 14
Jennifer Ren is from UK and she won the 8th Smrikva Bowl 2003. Jennifer also played 2nd “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl. Jennifer Ren won the first round of 46th under 14 Junior Orange Bowl against Gabrielle N. Moxey 6:0, 6:0. In the second round Jennifer Ren defeated Manuela Q Velasquez from the USA 6:0, 6:3. In the third round Jennifer Ren lost against Laura Robson from UK 6:1, 6:1.

Christine Kandler is from Austria and she played 9th Smrikva Bowl 2004. Christine Kandler won the first round 46th under 14 Junior Orange Bowl against Grace Min from the USA 2:6, 6:2, 6:3. In the second round Srinidhi Raghavan from the USA retired during the result 4:0 for Christine so Kandler passed into third round. In the third round Christine Kandler lost against Nicole Melichar from the USA 6:4, 3:6, 6:3.

Silvia Njiric is from Croatia and she was the 8th Smrikva Bowl 2003 runner up. Silvia also played 2nd “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl. Silvia Njiric won the first round of 46th under 14 Junior Orange Bowl against Andrea Riveros Quintero 6:1, 6:2. In the second round Silvia Njiric lost against Breaunna Addison from the USA 7:5, 6:4.

Boys
UNDER 12
Matteo Donati is from Italy and he won the 10th Smrikva Bowl 2005. Matteo also played 4th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl. Matteo Donati won the first round of 46th under 12 Junior Orange Bowl against Kenta Miyoshi from Japan 6:1, 6:1. In the second round Matteo Donati defeated David Hsu from the USA 6:1, 6:0. In the third round Matteo Donati defeated Baker S. Newman from the USA 6:3, 6:1. In the fourht round Matteo Donati defeated Ivan Divkovic from Bosnia and Herzegovina 6:2, 6:3. In the quarterfinals Matteo Donati won against Justin Butsch from the USA 6:4, 6:4. In the semifinals Matteo Donati lost against Joseph Di Giulio from the USA 6:3, 6:4.

Borna Coric is from Croatia and he played 10th Smrikva Bowl 2005. Borna Coric won the first round of 46th under 12 Junior Orange Bowl against Blake Myrin from the USA 6:1, 6:0. In the second round Borna Coric defeated Pylyp Kekercheni from Ukraina by 6:2, 6:1. In the third round Borna Coric defeated Franz Sydow 6:1, 6:2. In the fourth round Borna Coric defeated Gianluigi Quinzi from Italy 6:2, 6:1. In the quarterfinals Borna Coric lost against Joseph Di Giulio from the USA 6:3, 2:6, 6:3.

Gianluigi Quinzi is 11th Smrikva Bowl 2006 winner and he ranked 3rd on 10th Smrikva Bowl 2005. He also played 4th and 5th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl in 2004 and 2005. Gianluigi is from Italy. Gianluigi Quinzi won the first round of 46th under 12 Junior Orange Bowl against Yannik James 6:1, 6:0. In the second round Gianluigi Quinzi defeated Franz Sydow 6:1, 6:2. In the third round Gianluigi Quinzi defeated Hyeon Chung from Korea 6:3, 6:1. In the fourth round Gianluigi Quinzi lost against Borna Coric from Croatia 6:2, 6:1.

Ivan Divkovic is from Bosnia and Herzegovina and he also played Smrikva Bowl. Ivan Divkovic won the first round of 46th under 12 Junior Orange Bowl against Pierre Durali from France 6:3, 6:1. In the second round Ivan Divkovic defeated Lorenzo Tagliari from Brazil 6:3, 6:4. In the third round Ivan Divkovic defeated Daniel Kerznerman from the USA 6:3, 6:3. In the fourth round Ivan Divkovic lost against Matteo Donati from Italy 6:2, 6:3.

Luka Ilic is from Serbia and he played 10th Smrikva Bowl 2005. Luka Ilic won the first round of 46th under 12 Junior Orange Bowl against Thomas Weirather 6:2, 6:4. In the second round Luka Ilic defeated Matthew Erdman from Canada 7:6, 6:3. In the third round Luka Ilic lost against Billy Harris from Great Britain 6:1, 6:2.

Jose E Gracia is from the USA and he played 4th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl 2005. Jose lost in the first round of 46th under 12 Junior Orange Bowl against Nicholas Kyrgios from Australia 6:3, 6:0.

Harry Busby is from UK and he ranked 4th on 10th Smrikva Bowl 2005. Harry also played 4th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl 2005. Harry Busby lost in the first round of 46th under 12 Junior Orange Bowl against Jason Peter Platzer from Austria 6:3, 6:2.

Tommy Paul is from the USA and he played 6th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl 2007. Tommy lost in the first round of 46th under 12 Junior Orange Bowl against Lorenzo Tagliari from Brazil 7:5, 6:2.

UNDER 14
George Morgan is from UK and he was the 8th Smrikva Bowl 2003 runner up. George also played 2nd “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl. George Morgan won the first round of 46th under 12 Junior Orange Bowl against Jens Hauser from Switzerland 6:2, 6:0. In the second round George Morgan defeated Vladmir Stojovic from Serbia 6:1, 6:2. In the third round George Morgan defeated Daniel J. McCall from the USA 6:4, 6:1. In the fourth round George Morgan defeated Dennis Novikov from the USA 6:4, 7:5, 6:1. In the quarterfinals George Morgan won against Matias Sborowitz from Switzerland 6:3, 6:0. In the semifinals George Morgan won against Shane Vinsant from the USA 6:3, 2:6, 7:5. In the finals George Morgan defeated Spencer F. Newman from the USA 3:6, 6:3, 7:5.

Emmett A. Egger is from the USA and he played 2nd “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl. Emmett Egger won the first round of 46th under 12 Junior Orange Bowl against Rudy Richter 6:0, 6:1. In the second round Emmett Egger defeated Denys Mylokostov from Ukraina 6:1, 6:1. In the third round Emmett Egger defeated Martin Krueger from Germany 6:0, 6:4. In the fourth round Emmett Egger defeated Spencer L. Simon from the USA 3:6, 6:4, 6:2. In the quarterfinals Emmett Egger lost against Spencer F. Newman from the USA 7:5, 6:3.

Ciprian Porumb is from Romania and he ranked 3rd on the 8th Smrikva Bowl 2003. Ciprian Porumb lost in the first round of 46th under 12 Junior Orange Bowl against Connor Glennon from UK 6:7, 6:4, 6:4.

Dominic Thiem is from Austria and he won 8th Smrikva Bowl 2003. Dominic also played 2nd “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl. Dominic Thiem lost in the first round of 46th under 14 Junior Orange Bowl against Alexios Q Halebian from the USA 6:3, 6:4.

Congratulations to all the players and in a special way to George Morgan that won, under 14, 46th Junior Orange Bowl Championships!

15/12/07

Ivan Levar arrived in the semi finals of the 24th edition of the Tim Essone under 14 Tournament that was played in Ste. Genevieve des Bois near Paris in France

Ivan Levar is from Croatia and he won the 9th Smrikva Bowl in 2004. Ivan also contributed to the victory of the Smrikva Bowl team against “Little Mo” team on the 3rd “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl that was played that year for the first time on the courts of the Smrikve Tennis Club in Pula (Croatia). Today Ivan Levar is ranked #17 in Europe in under 14 cathegory.

The tournament in Ste.Genevieve des Bois near Paris is a very strong under 14 tournament. The stregth of the tournament is proved by its winners and other top players that participated the tournament in its 23 years old history. Please find the list of the top players that won and participated this tournament in France.

Top players that won the tournament in Ste. Genevieve Bois among boys are: Tommy ROBREDO (1995), Richard GASQUET (1998), Rafael NADAL (1999), Vladimir IGNATIK (2003), Carlos BOLUDA PURKISS (2006). Other top players that played this tournament are: Roger FEDERER (1994), Mario ANCIC (1996), Gilles SIMON (1997), Marcos BAGHDATIS (1998), Thomas BERDYCH (1998), Gaêl MONFILS (1999).

Top players that won the tournament among girls in its 23 years old history are: Martina HINGIS (1991), Elena DEMENTIEVA (1994), Petra MARTIC (2004). Other top players that played this tournament are: Arantxa SANCHEZ (1983), Iva MAJOLI (1990), Amélie MAURESMO (1992), Justine HENIN (1994), Daniela HANTUCHOVA (1996), Ana IVANOVIC (1999).

Ivan Levar arrived in the semi finals of the 24th edition of the Tim Essone under 14 Tournament that is played in Ste. Genevieve des Bois near Paris in France. Ivan was seed #14 at the tournament. The single results that allowed Ivan Levar to reach the semi finals are:

First round: Ivan Levar-Jeroen Vanneste (BEL) 1:6, 6:4, 6:2.
Second round: Ivan Levar-Romain Bauvy (FRA) 4:6, 7:6, 6:2.
Third round: Ivan Levar-Gregoire Barrere (FRA) 6:4, 6:7, 6:4.
Quarter finals: Ivan Levar-Konstantin Gerlach (RUS) 2:6, 6:4, 6:2.

In the semi finals Ivan Levar lost against Evgeny Karlovsky from Russia that was seed #2 of the tournament by 6:2, 6:1.

Miki Jankovic, 9th Smrikva Bowl 2004 runner up, from Serbia, is ranked #8 in Europe in under 14 cathegory and he lost in the third round of Tim Essone Tournament against Konstantin Gerlach from Russia 6:3, 6:1.

2004 was a very special year for the Smrikva Bowl. It was the first time that we hosted in Smrikve the US team and the “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl. It was a beautiful year and we had some very good players.

Ivan Levar won that year and there is a special story related with him. What happened with Ivan is that he did not tell to his father that he had a small tennis shoes during the tournament. At one moment he started to walk in a very strange way and his father asked him what happened. When they cheked the legs he already had important injuries. Ivan Levar wanted to continue to play and it was a very painfull for me even to look at his legs. After every match the doctor tried to medicate the injuries. At the end his will was so strong that he defeated in the finals a very strong Miki Jankovic from Serbia. Miki Jankovic is still a very talented players with a good game and very good technique.

14/12/07

Top Smrikva Bowl and "Little Mo"/Smrikva Bowl players on ATP, WTA, ITF, USTA and European under 14 and 16 ranking lists (update December 2007)

From 2002 Smrikva Bowl started to gather top players from Europe and also the organization of “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl started. In the recent years Smrikva Bowl gathered top players from all over the World.

1996 – 1st Smrikva Bowl
Vilim Visak, 1st Smrikva Bowl 1996 winner, from Croatia, is ranked #981 on ATP list. Vilim’s best ranking was #612 in March 2006.

1997 – 2nd Smrikva Bowl
Ivana Lisjak, 2nd Smrikva Bowl 1997 winner, from Croatia, is ranked #221 on WTA list. Ivana’s best ranking was #95 in June 2006.

1999 – 4th Smrikva Bowl
Astrid Besser, 4th Smrikva Bowl 1999 winner, from Italy, is ranked #578 on WTA list. Astid’s best ranking was #457 in August 2007.
Deni Zmak, 4th Smrikva Bowl 1999 runner up, from Croatia, is ranked #1480 on ATP list.

2000 – 5th Smrikva Bowl
Adelchi Virgili, 5th Smrikva Bowl 2000 winner, from Italy. Adelchi is very talented player but he continues to be injured. Hopefully he will be able to start to play professional tennis.
Tereza Mrdeza, 5th Smrikva Bowl 2000 winner, from Croatia, is ranked #774 on WTA list.

2001 – 6th Smrikva Bowl
Marin Draganja, 6th Smrikva Bowl 2001 winner, from Croatia, is ranked #134 on ITF ranking list. Marin Draganja played in the finals of this year Avenire in Milan, one of the most important under 16 tennis tournaments in the World.
Marcan Dino, 6th Smrikva Bowl 2001 runner up, from Croatia, is ranked #200 on ITF ranking list.

Petra Martic, 6th Smrikva Bowl 2001 winner, from Croatia, is ranked #328 on WTA list. Petra Martic is probably one of the most talented players in her age group in the World. In the last few months Petra jumped for over 200 places on WTA list. This summer in an interview Goran Prpic said that she is promissing very well for the Croatian tennis.
Indire Akiki, 6th Smrikva Bowl 2001 runner up, from Croatia, is ranked # 581 on WTA list.

2002 – 7th Smrikva Bowl and 1st”Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl
Javier Marti, 7th Smrikva Bowl 2002 winner, from Spain, is ranked #2 in Europe in under 16 cathegory.
Giaccomo Miccini, 7th Smrikva Bowl 2002 runner up, from Italy, is ranked #89 on ITF ranking list. Giacomo Miccini trains at Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Giacomo Miccini is among the best players in the World in his age group.

Martina Caregaro, 7th Smrikva Bowl 2002 winner, from Italy, is ranked #74 in Europe in under 16 cathegory and is ranked #1151 on ITF ranking list.
Ajla Tomljanovic, 7th Smrikva Bowl 2002 runner up, from Croatia, is ranked #262 on ITF ranking list. Ajla Tomljanovic is born in 1993 and is one of the top players in her age group in the World. Goran Prpic recently said for her that in two years time he would like to see her competing on Senior Roland Garros.
Ema Burgic, ranked 3rd on 7th Smrikva Bowl 2002, from Bosnia and Herzegovina, is ranked #2 in Europe in under 16 cathegory and is ranked #330 on ITF ranking list.

Jordaan Sanford, played 1st “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #83 in the USA in under 18 cathegory and is ranked #744 on ITF ranking list.
Morgan Basil, played 1st “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #812 on ITF ranking list.

2003 – 8th Smrikva Bowl and 2nd”Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl
Dominic Thiem, 8th Smrikva Bowl 2003 winner, from Austria, is ranked #315 in Europe in under 16 cathegory.
George Morgan, 8th Smrikva Bowl 2003 runner up, from Great Britain, is ranked #167 in Europe in under 16 cathegory.
Ciprian Porumb, ranked 3rd on 8th Smrikva Bowl 2003, from Romenia, is ranked #1223 on ITF ranking list and and is ranked #37 in Europe in under 16 cathegory.

Jennifer Ren, 8th Smrikva Bowl 2003 winner, from Great Britain, is ranked #443 on ITF ranking list and is ranked #256 in Europe in under 16 cathegory.
Silvia Njiric, 8th Smrikva Bowl 2003 runner up, from Croatia, is ranked #448 on ITF ranking list and is ranked #129 in Europe in under 16 cathegory.
Ajla Tomljanovic, ranked 3rd on 7th Smrikva Bowl 2002, from Croatia, is ranked #262 on ITF ranking list. Ajla Tomljanovic is born in 1993 and is one of the top players in her age group in the World. Goran Prpic recently said for her that in two years time he would like to see her competing on Senior Roland Garros.

Emmett Egger, played 2nd “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #195 in the USA in under 16 cathegory and is ranked #1602 on ITF ranking list.
Robert Stineman, played 2nd “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #383 in the USA in under 16 cathegory.
Karen Forman, played 2nd “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #1695 in the USA in under 16 cathegory.
Katie Klyczek, played 2nd “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #343 in the USA in under 16 cathegory.

2004 – 9th Smrikva Bowl and 3rd”Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl
Ivan Levar, 9th Smrikva Bowl 2004 winner, from Croatia, is ranked #17 in Europe in under 14 cathegory.
Miki Jankovic, 9th Smrikva Bowl 2004 runner up, from Serbia, is ranked #8 in Europe in under 14 cathegory.

Saska Gavrilovska, 9th Smrikva Bowl 2004 winner, from Serbia, is ranked #438 in the USA in under 12 cathegory.
Ecaterina Opriou, 9th Smrikva Bowl 2004 runner up, from Romenia, is ranked #49 in Europe in under 14 cathegory.

Mitchel Polnet, played 3rd “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #89 in the USA in under 14 cathegory.
Rayan Andrada, played 3rd “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #1421 in the USA in under 14 cathegory.
Blair Shankle, played 3rd “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #51 in the USA in under 14 cathegory.
Anna Mamalat, played 3rd “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #44 in the USA in under 14 cathegory.

2005 – 10th Smrikva Bowl and 4th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl
Matteo Donati, 10th Smrikva Bowl 2005 winner, from Italy, is ranked #59 in Europe in under 14 cathegory.
Gyore Laszlo, 10th Smrikva Bowl 2005 runner up, from Serbia, is ranked #112 in Europe in under 14 cathegory.
Gianluigi Quinzi, ranked 3rd on 10th Smrikva Bowl 2005, from Italy, is ranked #33 in Europe in under 14 cathegory. Gianluigi Quinzi trains at Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
Harry Busby, ranked 4th on 10th Smrikva Bowl 2005, from UK, is not ranked in Europe in under 14 cathegory. In 2007, Harry Busby won Ouatt Kids Cup World Wide under 11 cathegory.

Saska Gavrilovska, 10th Smrikva Bowl 2005 winner, from Serbia, is ranked #438 in the USA in under 12 cathegory.
Olga Yanchuk, 10th Smrikva Bowl 2005 runner up, from Ukraine, is ranked #39 in Europe in under 14 cathegory.

Jeffrey Schorsch, played 4th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #30 in the USA in under 12 cathegory.
Jose Gracia, played 4th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #22 in the USA in under 12 cathegory.
Yale Goldberg, played 4th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #17 in the USA in under 12 cathegory.
Dorothy Tang, played 4th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #39 in the USA in under 12 cathegory.

2006 – 11th Smrikva Bowl and 5th”Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl
Gianluigi Quinzi, 11th Smrikva Bowl 2006 winner, from Italy, is ranked #33 in Europe in under 14 cathegory. Gianluigi Quinzi trains at Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
Filip Kraljevic, 11th Smrikva Bowl 2006 runner up, from Croatia, is ranked #9 in Croatia in under 12 cathegory.

Eleanor Dean, 11th Smrikva Bowl 2006 winner, from Great Britain, is not ranked in Europe in under 14 cathegory.
Dina Paocic, 11th Smrikva Bowl 2006 runner up, from Bosnia and Herzegovina, is not ranked in Europe in under 14 cathegory.

Daniel Maese, played 5th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #168 in the USA in under 12 cathegory.
Aries Wong, played 5th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #88 in the USA in under 12 cathegory.
Christina Makarova, played 5th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #93 in the USA in under 12 cathegory.
Gabriella Umoquit, played 5th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #975 in the USA in under 12 cathegory.

2007 – 12th Smrikva Bowl and 6th”Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl
Sacha Merzetti, 12th Smrikva Bowl 2007 winner, from Italy, is too young for under 14 european ranking.
Bogdan Borza, 12th Smrikva Bowl 2007 runner up, from Romania, is too young for under 14 european ranking.
Gonzalo Morell, ranked 3rd on 12th Smrikva Bowl 2007, from Spain, is too young for under 14 european ranking.
Sergiu Bucur, ranked 4th on 12th Smrikva Bowl 2007, from Romania, is too young for under 14 european ranking.

Virginia Pena, 12th Smrikva Bowl 2007 winner, from Spain, is too young for under 14 european ranking.
Ana Konjuh, 12th Smrikva Bowl 2007 runner up, from Croatia, is too young for under 14 european ranking and is ranked #16 in Croatia in under 12 cathegory.
Nina Potocnik, ranked 3rd on 12th Smrikva Bowl 2007, from Slovenia, is too young for under 14 european ranking.
Katie Dayson, ranked 4th on 12th Smrikva Bowl 2007, from UK, is too young for under 14 european ranking.

Eduardo Nava, played 6th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #137 in the USA in under 12 cathegory.
Tommy Paul, played 6th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #156 in the USA in under 12 cathegory.
Ndindi Ndunda, played 6th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #159 in the USA in under 12 cathegory.
Domonique Garley, played 6th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #613 in the USA in under 12 cathegory.

08/12/07

Results of the Smrikva Bowl and "Little Mo"/Smrikva Bowl players on the 2nd "Little Mo" International: Ana Konjuh, Gabriella Umoquit and Michal Kusznerko won the 2nd "Little Mo" International in their age groups.

The 2nd “Little Mo” International Open is played at the Austin Tennis Academy in Austin, Texas from December 5-9, 2007.

Since 2002, Smrikva Bowl has established a special cooperation with “Little Mo” and its Executive Vice President Carol Weyman. In 2002, the Smrikve Tennis Club and the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation created “Little Mo”/ Smrikva Bowl, the first-ever international competition between the United States and Europe for boys and girls 10 & under. In the last few years Smrikva Bowl started to gather top players under 10 from all around the World and “Little Mo” developed in International Open.
“Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl is a very special event and has arrived to its 7th annual.

Gabriella Umoquit is from Texas (USA) and she played 5th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl. Gabriella is ranked #962 in the USA in under 12 cathegory and was #1 seed in under 11 “Little Mo” International age group cathegory and she won the 2nd “Little Mo” International under 11 cathegory. Gabriella in the finals defeated Jemma Buckler 6:1, 6:3.

Domonique Garley is also from Texas (USA) and she played this year the 6th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl. Domonique is ranked #609 in the USA in under 12 cathegory and was #1 seed in under 10 “Little Mo” International age group cathegory. Domonique Garley lost in the semifinals against Maria Shishkina from Russia that lives in Florida 7:6, 5:7, 6:3.

Ana Konjuh ranked 2nd on the 12th Smrikva Bowl 2007 and she is from Dubrovnik in Croatia. Ana is ranked #16 in Croatia in under 12 cathegory and she qualified for the under 10 “Little Mo” International. Ana Konjuh won the 2nd “Little Mo” International under 10 age group by defeating in the finals Maria Shishkina from Russia by 6:1, 6:3.

Robbie Marshall played 12th Smrikva Bowl 2007 and qualified to play the under 9 “Little Mo” International. Robbie Marshall is from England but he lives and trains in Spain. Robbie is eligible to play the 13th Smrikva Bowl 2008. Robbie lost in the quarterfinals against Justin Lee from the USA 6:1, 6:1.

Michal Kusznerko is from Chicago (Illinois, USA) and he is eligible to represent the USA on the 7th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl that will be played in Pula (Croatia) on 29th of june 2008. Michal Kusznerko won the 10th “Little Mo” Nationals under 9 age group. Michal is #1 seed in under 9 “Little Mo” International age group. Michal Kusznerko won the 2nd “Little Mo” International under 9 age group by defeating in the finals Justin Lee 6:4, 6:0.

Justin Lee is from Cos Cob (Connecticut, USA) and he is eligible to represent the USA on the 7th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl that will be played in Pula (Croatia) on 29th of june 2008. Justin Lee was the 10th “Little Mo” Nationals runner up in the under 9 age group. Justin is #3 seed in under 9 “Little Mo” International age group. Justin Lee lost in the finals of the 2nd “Little Mo” International under 9 age group from Michal Kusznerko 6:4, 6:0.

Karina Vyrlan is from Antelope (California, USA) and she is eligible to represent the USA on the 7th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl that will be played in Pula (Croatia) on 29th of june 2008. Karina Vyrlan was the 10th “Little Mo” Nationals runner up in under 9 age group. Karina is #1 seed in under 9 “Little Mo” International age group. Karina Vyrlan lost in the finals against Samantha J. Martinelli 6:0, 6:0.

Congratulations to all the players!

01/12/07

Results of some Smrikva Bowl and "Little Mo"/Smrikva Bowl players at the Junior Orange Bowl under 16 and under 18

JUNIOR ORANGE BOWL
Junior Orange Bowl is one of the most important Junior International Tennis Championships. It is played in Florida in the USA. Under 18 will play the Qualifacation Draw from December 1st till December 2nd, 2007 and the Main Draw will be played from December 3rd till December 9th, 2007. Under 16 will play the Qualification Draw from November 30th till December 2nd, 2007 and the Main Draw will be played from December 2nd till December 8th, 2007.

The Smrikva Bowl and “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl under 16 and under 18 players results at the Junior Orange Bowl are:

Girls
Under 16
Jennifer Ren is from UK and she won 8th Smrikva Bowl 2003. Jennifer Ren defeated in the first round of under 16 Junior Orange Bowl Martina Gledacheva from Bulgaria 7:6, 3:6, 6:3. In the second round Jennifer lost against Amandine Hesse from France 6:4, 2:6, 6:4. Jennifer is 14 years old and is registered also for the under 14 Junior Orange Bowl.
Silvia Njiric is from Croatia and she ranked 2nd on 8th Smrikva Bowl 2003. Siliva Njiric lost in the first round of the under 16 Junior Orange Bowl against Lilly Kimbell from the USA 6:4, 6:2. Silvia is 14 years old and is registered also for the under 14 Junior Orange Bowl.
Jordaan Sanford is from the USA and she played 1st “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl. In the first round Jordaan Sanford defeated Maria Jose Garcia Villa from Mexico 6:0, 6:0. In the second round Jordaan lost against Ulrikke Eikery from Norway 6:2, 6:3.

Boys
Under 16
Giaccomo Miccini, 7th Smrikva Bowl 2002 runner up, from Italy lost in the first round of Junior Orange Bowl under 16 against Harry Fowler from the USA 0:6, 6:3, 6:3.

Under 18
Marcan Dino, 6th Smrikva Bowl 2001 runner up, from Croatia lost in the first round of under 18 Junior Orange Bowl against Ricardas Berankis from Lithuania 6:3, 6:2.

28/11/07

Results of Smrikva Bowl players on Eddie Herr International

Eddie Herr International is one of the most important Junior Tennis Championships in the World that was played at IMG/Nick Bollettieri Academies in Bradenton, Florida in the USA.

Several Smrikva Bowl and “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl players played Eddie Herr International. The players that obtained the best results are: Gianluigi Quinzi who reached the semifinals in boys under 12 age group, Jose Gracia who reached the quarterfinals in boys under 12 age group, Ciprian Porumb reached the quarterfinals in boys under 14 age group and Silvia Njiric reached the quarterfinals in girls under 16 age group.

Boys under 12
Harry Busby is from UK and he ranked 4th on 10th Smrikva Bowl 2005. Harry Busby retired in the 3rd round against Luca D Corinteli from the USA.
Jose Gracia is from Florida and he played 4th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl 2005. Jose Gracia lost in the quarterfinals of Eddie Herr International against Filip Obucina from Canada 6:7, 7:5, 6:0.
Luka Ilic is from Serbia and he also played Smrikva Bowl. Luka Ilic lost in the 4th round of Eddie Herr International against Pierre Durali from France 1:6, 6:3, 6:4.
Gianluigi Quinzi is 11th Smrikva Bowl 2006 winner. Gianluigi Quinzi lost in the semifinals against Roy Lederman from the USA 6:1, 5:7, 4:6. Gianluigi is 11 years old. Saska Gavrilovska and Gianluigi Quinzi in the mixed doubles arrived in the semifinals of Eddie Herr International.
Dylan Bednarczyk is from Canada and he played 12th Smrikva Bowl. Dylan Bednarczyk lost in the 1st round of Eddie Herr International against Brian Granoff from the USA 6:0, 6:1. Dylan is 10 years old.

Girls under 12
Saska Gavrilovska is 9th and 10th Smrikva Bowl 2004 and 2005 winner, from Serbia. Saska Gavrilovska lost in the 3rd round of Eddie Herr Internetional against Olga Yanchuk from Ukraina 5:7, 6:4, 6:3. Saska and Olga played the 10th Smrikva Bowl 2005 finals. Saska Gavrilovska and Gianluigi Quinzi in the mixed doubles arrived in the semifinals of Eddie Herr International.
Olga Ianchuk, 10th Smrikva Bowl 2005 runner up, from Ukraine. Olga Ianchuk lost in the 4th round of Eddie Herr International against Su Jeoung Jang from Korea 6:0, 6:3.
Vladica Babic is from Montenegro and she played Smrikva Bowl. Vladica Babic lost in the 2nd round of Eddie Herr International against Emily Fanning from New Zealand 6:4, 6:2.
Donna Vekic is from Croatia and she played Smrikva Bowl. Donna Vekic lost in the 3rd round of Eddie Herr International against Spencer Liang from the USA 6:2, 6:3.
Ana Konjuh, 12th Smrikva Bowl 2007 runner up, from Croatia. Ana Konjuh lost in the 1st round of Eddie Herr International against Saska Gavrilovska from Serbia 6:2, 6:3. Ana is 10 years old.
Olga Fridman is from Ukraina and she played 12th Smrikva Bowl 2007. Olga Fridman lost in the 1st round of Eddie Herr International against Ilinca T Bercaru from Romania 6:2, 6:1. Olga is 10 years old.

Boys under 14
Ciprian Alexandru Porumb, ranked 3rd on 8th Smrikva Bowl 2003, from Romenia. Ciprian Porumb lost in the quarterfinals of Eddie Herr International against Spencer Newman from the USA 6:4, 6:7, 6:3.

Girls under 16
Jennifer Ren, 8th Smrikva Bowl 2003 winner, from Great Britain. Jennifer Ren lost in the 3rd round of Eddie Herr International against Maria A Belaya from the USA 6:2, 6:4. Jennifer is 14 years old.
Silvia Njiric, 8th Smrikva Bowl 2003 runner up, from Croatia. Silvia Njiric lost in the quarterfinals of Eddie Herr International against Alexandra Cercone from the USA 6:2, 7:6. Silvia is 14 years old.

Boys under 18
Marin Draganja, 6th Smrikva Bowl 2001 winner, from Croatia. Marin Draganja lost in the 1st round of Eddie Herr International against Alex Domijan from the USA 6:4, 7:6. Marin is 16 years old.
Dino Marcan, 6th Smrikva Bowl 2001 runner up, from Croatia. Dino Marcan lost in the 1st round of Eddie Herr International against Matt Reid from Australia 6:2, 7:6. Dino played the qualifications to enter the main draw. He is 16 years old.
Giacomo Miccini, 7th Smrikva Bowl 2002 runner up, from Italy. Giacomo Miccini lost in the 2nd round of Eddie Herr International against Luka Somen from Croatia 6:3, 6:4. Giacomo is 15 years old.

Girls under 18
Ajla Tomljanovic was 7th Smrikva Bowl 2002 runner up and she ranked 3rd on 8th Smrikva Bowl 2003. Ajla Tomljanovic lost in the 1st round of Eddie Herr International against Gabriela Paz from Venezuela 6:4, 6:2. Ajla played the qualifications to enter the main draw. She is 14 years old.

20/11/07

12 years of the Smrikva Bowl story through the story of some of its players

There are many players that impressed me during their partecipation on the Smrikva Bowl. I thought that would be nice to put few notes about some of them that I still remember well after many years.

Until 2001 Smrikva Bowl was limited to Croatia and some nearby countries. From 2002 Smrikva Bowl started to gather top players from Europe and also the organization of “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl started. In the recent years Smrikva Bowl gathered players from all over the World and every year I can see how similar are the kids from all over the World.

I will start from the very first tournaments. Although I lived in Italy, Spain and the US when I started to organize Smrikva Bowl I tried to come home everytime for the tournament. The only Smrikva Bowl I missed was in 1998 when I was in New York. That year I bought on the US Open the big Willson yellow ball that from 1999 every Smrikva Bowl winner have signed.

1996 Smrikva Bowl

The first year in 1996 we had the players from Istria and Kvarner that partcipated on the Smrikva Bowl. We were lucky to have as the winner Vilim Visak from Mali Losinj. Vilim was a very good junior player and he arrived in March 2006 to #612 ranking on ATP list. He is still in tennis and I think he runs a tennis club in his home town with his father. I remember him as a very funny kid. We were joking about something and he told me that he speaks Spanish than I started to speak in Spanish and he started to smile. It was a funny situation because he did not expected me to talk in Spanish. Since the first year tha prize for the winners were the mountain bikes and it was interesting to see how the kids ride the bike on the court.

1997 Smrikva Bowl

The second year in 1997 we had the whole Croatia participating to the Smrikva Bowl. It was a very successfull tournament. We had top players from Croatia and again we were lucky to have that year Ivan Lisjak as the winner. She came with her mother from Cakovec and they slept in my apartment in the living room. I still remember that she was playing with the t-shirt Ronzio Oleodinamica and I was very happy about that. Ivana was much above the average level of the other kids. She was really strong.

My friend, Luca Appino, that was Marketing Director for many years for Babolat made some statistics for the last decades and according to this statistics only 6% of top juniors that are already over 16 years old get among Top 100 on the professional ATP and WTA lists. This means that the probability that a 10 year old kid get among Top 100 is close to 0%. We were very lucky with Ivana and for a short period of time she was ranked #95 on WTA list in June 2006.

I remember that year that the boys final was beautiful. We had Zeljko Peric from Split and Filip Kricka from Zadar. Two players from Dalmatia. They were both very similar to Goran Ivanisevic. They grew up with Goran as their hero and their game and reactions were like Goran’s one. It was a beatufiull match. They very good as juniors and Filip still play tennis.

1998 Smrikva Bowl

In 1998 I was in New York so I did not have the opportunity to meet the winners of that edition. I know that the winners were Filip Kovacic from Opatija and Mateja Horvat from Cakovec. They were both very good juniors. Mateja was also ranked #800 on WTA list but they are not in tennis any more.

1999 Smrikva Bowl

In 1999 we started to gather first players from abroad. Smrikva Bowl started to grow internationally. Astrid Besser from Italy was the winner of that year edition. Astrid was already a tennis star at that time. She was tall and she was working very hard. I remember his father was from Germany and the mother was from Argentina but they lived in Pistoia in Tuscany. When Astrid played she already had a sponsor and at that time that was a clothing group Sasch. Sasch was a new company and I remember when her father told me that they are both young and could grow together.

Astrid was always smiling and she just came on the Smrikva Bowl after the victory of a tournament that she played in Monte Carlo. I saw the pictures from that tournament and she played that time at Monte Carlo Country Club. I saw the pictures when she was receiving the trophy from someone from the Monte Carlo Prince’s family. I was very pleased when Astrid said after the tournament that Smrikva Bowl was the tournament she enjoyed most. Astid’s best ranking was #457 on WTA in August 2007. It is a very nice person and she was supposed to come for a week training at the Smrikve Tennis Club few years ago for the preparations for the Rome’s tournament. Few times speaking with his father he told me that Astrid would be very pleased to come back one day in Smrikve. One day we might organize a meeting of all former Smrikva Bowl Champions.

The winner of the boys tournament was Mudronja Borko from Sibenik. He won in the finals against Deni Zmak. They were both good juniors and Deni was ranked #1 in Europe in under 16 cathegory and today he is working to become a professional tennis player. What impressed me that year was the message that Borko left in our guest book. He wrote like a president of a country would write :). I would like to show you what he wrote. The words in Croatian are as follows: “I ja, Borko Mudronja zahvaljujem svima koji su mi omogucili da odigram ovaj turnir. Moja pobjeda na turniru, pehar i bicikla ce ostati zauvijek u mom sjecanju kao najljepsa uspomena. Svim mojim prijateljima koji dolaze poslije mene zelim da odigraju ovaj turnir, da ga osvoje i da dozive ovaj osjecaj kao ja. Puno pozdrava. Pobjednik turnira.”

I would try to translate it but it would not be perfect as he wrote it in Croatian. He wrote:”Even me, Borko Mudronja, would like to thank all the people that allowed me to play this tournament. My victory, the trophy and the bicycle will forever remain in my memory as the most beautifull one. To all my friends that will come after me I wish them to play this tournament, to win it and to live the same feeling that I feel today. Best wishes. The winner of the tournament”. I was really impressed how deep can be the thoughts of a 10 year old boy :).

2000 Smrikva Bowl

In year 2000 we had again another increadible talent from Florence in Italy, Adelchi Virgili, named Bobo. Adelchi was one of the best players we had in the first five years. The same as Astrid, Adelchi won the tournament in Monte Carlo before I invited him to play the Smrikva Bowl. Adelchi’s gradfather was a professional football player that played for Fiorentina that won the Italian Championship in 1955 and 1956.

Adelchi played very well and his father Alessandro coached him at that time but I remember that he was far away from the court during Adelchi’s game. Adelchi’s family is a very nice family. His brother Augusto and sister Alexia both play tennis. In few days meeting with the family I captured that the way his father Alessandro was educating them was a nice way. It was an education based on will and hard work. You can be successfull if you work hard. Unfortunatelly both Alessandro and Adelchi had some health problems but the will is always strong and I hope that Adelchi will be able to play the professional tennis. I remember that I was reading when he was 11 years old that he defeated various players 15-20 years olders.

Later on he was going very well but since 2004 he started to have phisical problems. After first problems he was forced not to train for 5 months. The back pain problems were mainly due to an error in heavy weights trainings. Bobo said that he was not able to run for the several months and that after 45 minutes of play he has to stop. Currently Bobo is trying to increase his physical resistance training with stationary bicycle.

The last public news about Bobo dates back in April 2007 when he trained with Rafael Nadal in Monte Carlo and about 50 spectators enjoyed that training. Toni Nadal, Rafa’s uncle, once said for Adelchi:” I consider him a phenomenon since he was 14 years old… unfortunately Bobo has this pain in his back that has blocked his progress… he lost at least two years… now he is 17 years old and there are other good players but Bobo has a strong will… the problems is only to see if he will be able to solve his back pain problems.”

Riccardo Piatti, Ivan Ljubicic’s trainer, continue to believe in Bobo Virgili. Thanks to Piatti, Bobo trained this year in Monte Carlo also with Davydenko and Ljubicic. In training with Ljubicic he lost a set 6:4 but was leading 3:0.

For those who understand Italian I would like to post also the message Adelchi’s father left in our guest book that is really nice and I like it every time I read it: “Mio-caro-GRAD E’ stato un lampo questo torneo che ha illuminato il buio dove spesso brancoliamo noi guide di giovani apprendisti tennisti. L’ospitalita’ della buona gente istriana, il cibo squisito di Maria, l’irruente gentilezza di Dana che ci ha fatto sentire come da sempre a casa nostra, nel cuore un angolo rimarra’ a conservare questo ricordo. E Bobo che alza la Coppa come a “Wimbledon” (ha 5 o 6 anni come hai detto tu!!!), per lui un bel sogno vissuto qui in miniatura. E poi c’e’ Augusto e il sogno continuera’ speriamo anche attraverso questo luogo.
Grazie Mio-caro-grad!”

In year 2000, in girls finals, Tereza Mrdeza from Porec, Croatia, won the 5th Smrikva Bowl. I remember that she played more times Smrikva Bowl and in end she was able to win it. She is still in tennis and is currently ranked #784 on WTA list. She is together with Petra Martic and Indire Akike among the top Smrikva Bowl players around that age group.

Tereza’s father is a big person but I remember Tereza that she was not very tall. She was a brilliant junior player and recently she started to approach the professional tennis. Tereza came to visit Smrikve few years ago and we have a tennis room with the photos of the winners and a cousin of mine told me that Tereze looked with a lot of interest the pictures. Few years ago I had the opportunity to meet her with his father during the ATP tournament in Umag and now she is already a woman and I still had her in my memory as a child.

2001 Smrikva Bowl

In 2001 we had some very talented finalists and winners. Both winners were from the Goran Ivanisevic’s home town Split. Actually Petra Martic is from Duc near Split and Marin Draganja is from Split.

Marin Draganja is currently ranked #142 on ITF ranking list but this year he played in the finals of Avenire in Milan that is one of the most important under 16 tennis tournaments in the World. In the Smrikva Bowls finals he defeated Marcan Dino from Rijeka that is also a very good junior player and is currently ranked #202 on ITF ranking list. Marin had a very clean and beautiful game.

Petra Martic is currently ranked #325 on WTA list and is probably one of the most talented players in her age group in the World. In the last few months Petra jumped for over 200 places on WTA list. This summer in an interview Goran Prpic said that she is promissing very well for the Croatian tennis. I remeber her game was easy and clean. Every movement was so natural without efforts. It is the way Federer and Sampras play tennis. When you look them it seems that everything is so easy. This was the way Petra played when she played Smrikva Bowl. She won in the finals against Indire Akiki. Indire is ranked # 583 on WTA list and she is also doing very well. I remeber that the court for the finals was really beautiful that year with many Pepsi banners.

2002 Smrikva Bowl

In 2002 we started to have players from many european countries and that year also the 1st”Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl* was played in October in Austin (Texas).

Javier Marti from Spain won the boys finals and currently he is ranked #2 in Europe in under 16 cathegory. Javer is one of the best players in Europe today in his age group, second only to Carlos Boluda. I remember Javier Marti and Ana Alfayate were the first player I had from Spain. A friend of mine promissed me that he will bring me that year the top player from Spain and this actually happened. Javier was increadible good player. He was very small but with perfect technique and no errors in the game. Similar to Eduardo Nava’s game that played this year the 6th”Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl.

I remember that Javier won that year the bike but he arrived with a plane to Venice and rent a car to come to Pula so his father had a problem how to take the bike home. At that time Javier’s father that is also named Javier told him if he want to leave or give the bike to someone here in Pula because the shifting of the bike to Madrid will cost more than the value of the bike. I remeber the face of Javier he was looking at the bike and he said… but father I won this bike I wont to take it home. So in end we put it on the plane and sent it to Madrid. Since that year Javier continued to help us in bringing top players from Spain to Smrikva Bowl and we had some very talented players in the last years.

The other finalist of the Smrikva Bowl that year that continues to be very good in tennis today is Giaccomo Miccini. Giacomo is from Italy and is currently ranked #93 on ITF ranking list. In December 2006, Giacomo Miccini reached the semifinals of under 14 Junior Orange Bowl. Since he was 11 years old he moved to Nick Bollettieri’s Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Today, Giacomo Miccini is among the best players in the World in his age group, probably second only to Bernard Tomic. I remeber when he played the finals that he was acting like Goran Ivanisevic. This is the player that Giacomo prefer. Today Giacomo is over 1.8 meters tall and his serves goes over 200 km/h.

Martina Caregaro won the 7th Smrikva Bowl 2002. She is from Italy and is ranked #74 in Europe in under 16 cathegory. She was taller compared to the other players and I have not seen her since she was 11 years old when I followed her in the finals of a tournament in Milan. She was very good and had a very good and professional coach, Marco Girardini. Marco helped me a lot in the Smrikva Bowl development. He introduced me to his friends Luca Appino and Claudio Calza that strongly supported Smrikva Bowl development in the last years. Marco continue to scout for the Smrikva Bowl players in Italy.

In the finals that year with Martina Caregaro we had 9 years old Ajla Tomljanovic from Croatia. Ajla is today ranked #278 on ITF ranking list and is for sure among the top players in her age group in the World. In December 2006, Ajla Tomljanovic reached the quarterfinals of under 14 Junior Orange Bowl and this summer she moved with her family to the USA. Goran Prpic recently said for her that in two years time he would like to see her competing on Senior Roland Garros.

Ajla is a daughter of Ratko Tomljanovic who was the captain of the handball Croatian team that won the gold medal on the Olimpic games in Atlanta in 1996. Ratko is a very nice person and we had a great time during that year Smrikva Bowl. It was like a big birthday. Ajla did a great result arriving in the finals and she qualified to represent Europe in the first “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl.

Javier Marti, Giacomo Miccini, Martina Caregaro and Ajla Tomljanovic were supposed to go in Austin in October to play 1st”Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl. I was giving to the kids the airplane tickets and parents had to pay their tickets by themselves. The hosting was organized by the MCB Tennis Foundation and I remember that Javier, Giacomo and Martina were not able to find other sponsors to cover other costs and Ajla and Ema Burgic, that ranked 3rd that year, from Bosnia and Herzegovina accepted to go.

I was very happy and proud on them. We were starting to create the first ever under 10 tennis competition between USA and Europe.

Ajla and Ema were under 10 girls, that went across the Ocean, without fear, to play a friendship match with the top US players. Ajla, Ema and their parents allowed this dream to become true thanks to their courage and belief. For the Smrikva Bowl it was like the trip towards the moon. When man made his first step on the moon, Armstrong said: it is a small human step but it is a big step for the humanity. I like to think that every long trip that parents and their children do to play in this event can become a part of that big step for humanity :). Ema Burgic is currently ranked #2 in Europe in under 16 cathegory and is still doing very well. I remember that Ema’s father told me that the Major of the City of Tuzla participated to the party that was made in Ema’s honour.

Ajla was 9 years old and I remember that Ratko told me that the experience in the US was very nice for them and he told me that the house was nice with a pool where they were hosted and that Carol Weyman was an extraordinary person. He sent me a beautiful blanket for a gift that year that his grandmother was doing and is a beautiful artwork and a nice memory for that year. Ajla played also the 8th Smrikva Bowl and ranked 3rd that year. It was a good result but she was very unhappy with the outcome. Ratko Tomljanovic have two daughters and they both play tennis. I remember that the older daughter Hana during the 8th Smrikva Bowl was playing the National Championship in Split and Ratko went with the older daughter, so he was not able to come to follow Ajla. Ajla has increadible will and determination and is very likely as Goran Prpic said that she could make it one day.

2003 Smrikva Bowl

The winner of the 8th Smrikva Bowl 2003 was Dominic Thiem from Austria. Dominic was smaller compared to the other finalist George Morgan and he played at the moments a defencive game using also baloons.

Dominic was in Smrikve with his gradfather, a very nice person. Few years ago he came to visit us and I was very pleased for that.

George Morgan is from Great Britain and is currently ranked #158 in Europe in under 16 cathegory. He was tall at that time with very good game. Another player that was promissing that year was Ciprian Porumb Junior that ranked 3rd. He is from Romenia and is the son of former Romenian Davis Cup player Ciprian Porumb Senior. This year Ciprian was ranked #1 in Europe in under 14 cathergory and currently is ranked #36 in Europe in under 16 cathegory. Ciprian was tall and his father is also a very tall person. His game was very good. Strong game and he had to improve the precision of the shoots at that time that probably happened in the last years according to the results obtained. Ciprian is followed by his father and Ovidiu Bodea. Ovidiu is a very nice person and strong supporter of the Smrikva Bowl and every year he and Ciprian Senior helps Smrikva Bowl to gather top players from Romenia

In 2003 Jennifer Ren from Great Britain won the girls finals. Jennifer has Asian origin and was very nice and open kid. She was always smiling and it became very famous in Smrikve when I asked her what will she remeber about the Smrikva Bowl and she told me that she will remember that we have a free drinks here in Smrikve :). When I was giving them the trophies and the bikes she asked me if she can say something to the public and I was very happy with the words she said.

That year we had several players from UK that Brian Mc Fadden brought to the Smrikva Bowl thanks to Carol Weyman. I remeber that I took them with a car to the Trieste airport in Italy. The four girls were going with me and when they saw that I will drive them with BMW they said Wooooow it is a BMW :). It was very funny.

She was very determined to became tennis player. I read later several articles about her and she received some rewards as the best sports person in the UK. Jennifer has a very good sister too. Her name is Jessica and she is the under 12 Orange Bowl winner. In UK already someone already compare tham with Williams sisters.

That year in the finals Jennifer played with Silvia Njiric from Croatia. Silvia Njiric was ranked #4 this year in Europe in under 14 cathegory and is currently ranked #439 on ITF ranking list and #126 in Europe in under 16 cathegory. She is very good junior and she went in the USA with Jennifer, Dominic and George to play 2nd “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl. I was very happy to read in the newspapers that after several years that Silvia plays tennis she still remember as one of the most beautiful experiences the gift and honour to go to play in the USA the “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl.

2004 Smrikva Bowl

2004 was a very special year for the Smrikva Bowl. It was the first time the we hosted in Smrikve the US team and the “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl. It was a beautiful year and we had some very good players.

There is a very special story that is related with that year winner Ivan Levar. Ivan Levar is from Croatia and is currently ranked #11 in Europe in under 14 cathegory. In December 2006, Ivan Levar reached the quarterfinals of under 12 Junior Orange Bowl.

What happened with Ivan is that he did not tell to his father that he had a small tennis shoes during the tournament. At one moment he started to walk in a very strange way and his father asked him what happened. When they cheked the legs he already had important injuries. Ivan wanted to continue to play and it was a very painfull for me even to look at his legs. After every match the doctor tried to medicate the injuries. At the end his will was so strong that he defeated in the finals a very strong Miki Jankovic from Serbia. Miki is ranked #9 in Europe in under 14 cathegory and is very talented players with a good game and very good technique.

Saska Gavrilovska was another surprise that year. It was the first time that a 9 years old player win the Smrikva Bowl. She beat in the finals Ecaterina Opriou from Romenia. In December 2006, Saska Gavrilovska reached the quarterfinals of under 12 Junior Orange Bowl being 11 years old.

I did not have informations how good she was. She came from Vrsac in Serbia without being at all the favorite player. She started to play and game after game she was winning. In a very difficult situations she was playing better and better with the smile on her face and she never give up. At the end she won the tournament. I remember that I saw that she had increadible talent but I was not sure that her parents will be able to support her growth financially.

Few months after the victory on the Smrikva Bowl she found the sponsor from New York that allowed her and her father to go to the Nick Bollettieri Academy. I was really happy for that. Next year Saska came again to play Smrikva Bowl and she won again. She smiled all the times and than she showed me the photos that she made in the US. I was very happy when I saw her on the tennis courts at Nick Bollettieri’s Academy with Smrikva Bowl t-shirt. I was really happy about that :).

In 2004 it was also the first time that we hosted “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl in Smrikve and we did everything to make it very special for the players. Every year we had a very nice players and families from the US and the players from US that played this event are among the top players in their country. Mitchel Polnet is ranked #81 in the USA in under 14 cathegory. Blair Shankle is ranked #47 in the USA in under 14 cathegory. Anna Mamalat is ranked #58 in the USA in under 14 cathegory. They continue to be very good players.

I keep a very nice memories about those families and also about Emilie Foster, Blair Shankle’s coach, that was there as the US team coach. Blair was increadible strong player and she won both matches. She continue to be very strong and few years ago she became part of the history at the “Little Mo” National Championships, where she became the first player ever to win four consecutive titles.

I received many nice letters from the players and the parents but that time few weeks after the tournament I received a letter from Shankle family. They are really nice family and I thought that they sent me a letter to say thanks. I opened the letter and it was a beautiful letter but they also included in the letter 1500 USD. That really impressed me that they decided to give me that money for the support of the Smrikva Bowl. It was increadible for me.

2005 Smrikva Bowl

For the 10th annual we gathered top players from 21 country and 3 continents. That year we also started to plant an Old Olive Tree and this cerimony was really beautiful. I appreciated how Roberto Marchigiani, Goldberg and Busby family enjoyed the cerimony.

In 2005 Matteo Donati from Italy won the 10th Smrikva Bowl. Matteo is currently ranked #52 in Europe in under 14 cathegory. Matteo’s game was very similar to Javier Marti’s game. Clean technique and outstanding game. I have a very good memory about his coach Roberto Marchigiani. Gyore Laszlo was also very good but a real surprise that year was Gianluigi Quinzi that ranked 3rd. Gianluigi is from Italy and is ranked #25 in Europe in under 14 cathegory. Gianluigi is only 11 years old and in this age group Gianluigi’s results are the best resutls in Tennis Europe’s history. Gianluigi trains at Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton. He played 3 times Smrikva Bowl and when I saw him for the first time I was surprised with his phisical constitution. He was already built like an older man and had very good shoots. In 2005 he arrived 3rd but next year he won the tournament. We used to have every year families that arrive with the players and Gianluigi was in Smrikve with the large family with his small and funny brother and really nice grandparents. The last time also his father Luca Quinzi arrived. It is a very nice family and I really enjoyed meeting them all.

Harry Busby was the 4th player that played the “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl. That year we had 3 boys and 1 girl from the US so we arranged that 4 Smrikva Bowl boys and 2 girls play the matches. Harry is also a very good player and has an older brother that plays tennis too. In 2007 Harry won Ouatt Kids Cup World Wide under 11 cathegory. His parents are extraordinary and Harry had an increadibly strong will and determination in his game. I made some very nice pictures of his hits.

In the girls finals that year Saska Gavrilovska defeated Olga Yanchuk from Ukraine. Olga is ranked #35 in Europe in under 14 cathegory and that final was one of the most beautiful girls finals that I have seen on the Smrikva Bowl.

From the US team I have a very special memory about Jose Gracia that is currently ranked #24 in the USA in under 12 cathegory. It was a very nice time that I spent with his father listening his life story. I remember that his father works as the cooker and he told me that he was flying to the US from Milan and that he would like to allow Jose to taste some of the best pasta restaurant in Milan. I worked for many years in Milan and recommended him to go in the restaurant of my good friend that is located near Scala Opera in the center of Milan. I wrote the adress of the restaurant on our visit card and gave it to him. The next time I was in that restaurant in Milan my friend showed me the visit card that I gave to Mr. Garcia :) so I am sure they had the opportunity to taste one of the best pasta in Milan. Yale Goldberg also played 4th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl and is currently ranked #17 in the USA in under 12 cathegory. Goldberg family took the opportunity to visit Croatia and I recieved a beautiful letter from them and I still remember the nice words Yale’s father told me about Olive Tree cerimony.

2006 Smrikva Bowl

In 2006 Gianluigi Quinzi and Eleanor Dean from Great Britain were outperformers. I was very pleased that this year the last year finalist Filip Kraljevic and Dina Paocic came to visit us during the Smrikva Bowl. Eleanor Dean had the same problem with the bike transfer. She lives in Spain and we had an increadible delay in sending the bike to her and she and her parents had really a big patients untill we delivered the bike to herr. Sorry Eleanor for that delay.

Another surprise that year was the 3rd place for the 9 years old girl from Spain, Virginia Pena. She will win the tournament in 2007 against Ana Konjuh. Ana has an older sister that play very good tennis and she could do very well and progress fast if she continue to have the opportunity to trains with her older sister. Ana is currently ranked #16 in Croatia in under 12 cathegory.

2007 Smrikva Bowl

In 2007 Virginia won and this result is the second best result in the Smrikva Bowl history. It is second only to Saska Gavrilovska result when Saska won two editions in a row: 2004 and 2005. Gigi is really talented and strong. In Smrikva Bowl Guest Book Virigina signed herself as Gigi. I read that many spanish funs call her Vivi. Jofre Porta was with Gigi and her family in Smrikve during the last year Smrikva Bowl and Jofre in his career trained players like Carlos Moya and Rafael Nadal. This year Gigi was in Smrikve with a coach from Romenia. She has a very nice family.

I have to recall that this year Gigi won the Mountain Bike on the Smrikva Bowl and after few rounds on the court with the bike she decided to give it as a gift to she’s new friend Ariana Rabac from Pula. It is always complicated to take the bike home from the winners that are coming from far away and Gigi decided to give it as a gift. This was very nice from Gigi’s side.

Sacha Merzetti defeated in the finals this year Bogdan Borza from Romania. It was like Nadal against Nadal :). Two players with increadible energy and good technique. We had really outstanding finals this year. Sacha has another brother Nicholas that could be good as he. He is 9 years old and will play this year Smrikva Bowl. Sacha and Nicholas also have an older sister that was on the way to became a professional tennis player but she decided to do other in her life. Uptoday Sacha and Nicholas would like to spend every minute of their time on the court. Who knows what will happen in the future but most of this kids have showed a great passion for tennis.

From the US players that played 6th”Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl Eduardo Nava was for sure the top performers. He had a similar game to Javier Marti and Matteo Donati that played Smrikva Bowl several years ago. Very clean game with very good technique. His mother was a professional tennis player and is a very nice person that I was pleased to meet. I heard also that his father won a Olmpic medal. Carol Weyman told me several time that Eduardo is their hope. He is ranked #163 in the USA in under 12 cathegory.

I tried to describe some of the top players that contributed to create the Smrikva Bowl story and I am pleased that I had the opportunity to meet many nice families that brought their kids from far far away to compete in the Smrikva Bowl.

Nelson Mandela said that “Sport has the power to change the world, the power to inspire and the power to unite people in a way little else can – it is an instrument of peace.”

Maybe one day more than one of the mentioned players will have and will be able to use their power to inspire and unite people.

14/11/07

Deadline for entries for the 2nd annual "Little Mo" International Open: November 21, 2007

Carol Weyman, Executive Vice President of MCB Tennis Foundation, announced that the deadline for entries for the 2nd “Little Mo” International Open is Wednesday, November 21st, 2007. The 2nd “Little Mo” International Open will be played at the Austin Tennis Academy in Austin, Texas from December 5-9.

Entry form is available online www.mcbtennis.org and click on “Little Mo” International Open. Anyone from around the world, including the USA, can enter this event for youngsters 11 & under.

“Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl is a very special event and has arrived to its 7th annual. On October 22nd, 2007 the 10th “Little Mo” Nationals was played and Ingrid Neel, Karina Vyrlan, Michal Kusznerko and Justin Lee are eligible to play in the 7th”Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl. 7th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl will be played the day after the finals of the 13th Smrikva Bowl 2008 and will be played on June 29th, 2008 in the Smrikve Tennis Club in Pula, Croatia.

Ingrid Neel, Karina Vyrlan, Michal Kusznerko and Justin Lee will probably play the 2nd “Little Mo” International Open in the under 9 age group. Every 12th Smrikva Bowl 2007 player received the invitation for the 2nd “Little Mo” International Open and are eligible to play in the under 10 age group. Some of them will go for sure to compete in the USA.

Good luck Carol in the organization and for the players: enjoy the tournament!

11/11/07

Top Smrikva Bowl and "Little Mo"/Smrikva Bowl players on ATP, WTA, ITF, USTA and European under 14 and 16 ranking lists

1996 – 1st Smrikva Bowl
Vilim Visak, 1st Smrikva Bowl 1996 winner, from Croatia, is ranked #962 on ATP list. Vilim’s best ranking was #612 in March 2006.

1997 – 2nd Smrikva Bowl
Ivana Lisjak, 2nd Smrikva Bowl 1997 winner, from Croatia, is ranked #183 on WTA list. Ivana’s best ranking was #95 in June 2006.

1999 – 4th Smrikva Bowl
Astrid Besser, 4th Smrikva Bowl 1999 winner, from Italy, is ranked #535 on WTA list. Astid’s best ranking was #457 in August 2007.
Deni Zmak, 4th Smrikva Bowl 1999 runner up, from Croatia, is ranked #1456 on ATP list.

2001 – 6th Smrikva Bowl
Marin Draganja, 6th Smrikva Bowl 2001 winner, from Croatia, is ranked #142 on ITF ranking list. Marin Draganja played in the finals of this year Avenire in Milan, one of the most important under 16 tennis tournaments in the World.
Marcan Dino, 6th Smrikva Bowl 2001 runner up, from Croatia, is ranked #202 on ITF ranking list.

Petra Martic, 6th Smrikva Bowl 2001 winner, from Croatia, is ranked #325 on WTA list. Petra Martic is probably one of the most talented players in her age group in the World. In the last few months Petra jumped for over 200 places on WTA list. This summer in an interview Goran Prpic said that she is promissing very well for the Croatian tennis.
Indire Akiki, 6th Smrikva Bowl 2001 runner up, from Croatia, is ranked # 583 on WTA list.

2002 – 7th Smrikva Bowl and 1st”Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl
Javier Marti, 7th Smrikva Bowl 2002 winner, from Spain, is ranked #2 in Europe in under 16 cathegory.
Giaccomo Miccini, 7th Smrikva Bowl 2002 runner up, from Italy, is ranked #93 on ITF ranking list. In December 2006, Giacomo Miccini reached the semifinals of under 14 Junior Orange Bowl. Giacomo Miccini trains at Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Giacomo Miccini is among the best players in the World in his age group.

Martina Caregaro, 7th Smrikva Bowl 2002 winner, from Italy, is ranked #74 in Europe in under 16 cathegory.
Ajla Tomljanovic, 7th Smrikva Bowl 2002 runner up, from Croatia, is ranked #278 on ITF ranking list. Ajla Tomljanovic is born in 1993 and is one of the top players in her age group in the World. In December 2006, Ajla Tomljanovic reached the quarterfinals of under 14 Junior Orange Bowl. Ajla this summer moved with her family to the USA. Goran Prpic recently said for her that in two years time he would like to see her competing on Senior Roland Garros.
Ema Burgic, ranked 3rd on 7th Smrikva Bowl 2002, from Bosnia and Herzegovina, is ranked #2 in Europe in under 16 cathegory.

Jordaan Sanford, played 1st “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #89 in the USA in under 16 cathegory and is ranked #736 on ITF ranking list.
Morgan Basil, played 1st “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #812 on ITF ranking list.

2003 – 8th Smrikva Bowl and 2nd”Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl
Dominic Thiem, 8th Smrikva Bowl 2003 winner, from Austria, is ranked #297 in Europe in under 16 cathegory.
George Morgan, 8th Smrikva Bowl 2003 runner up, from Great Britain, is ranked #158 in Europe in under 16 cathegory.
Ciprian Porumb, ranked 3rd on 8th Smrikva Bowl 2003, from Romenia, is ranked #1210 on ITF ranking list and and is ranked #36 in Europe in under 16 cathegory.

Jennifer Ren, 8th Smrikva Bowl 2003 winner, from Great Britain, is ranked #432 on ITF ranking list and is ranked #248 in Europe in under 16 cathegory.
Silvia Njiric, 8th Smrikva Bowl 2003 runner up, from Croatia, is ranked #439 on ITF ranking list and is ranked #126 in Europe in under 16 cathegory.
Ajla Tomljanovic, ranked 3rd on 7th Smrikva Bowl 2002, from Croatia, is ranked #278 on ITF ranking list. Ajla Tomljanovic is born in 1993 and is one of the top players in her age group in the World. In December 2006, Ajla Tomljanovic reached the quarterfinals of under 14 Junior Orange Bowl. Ajla this summer moved with her family to the USA. Goran Prpic recently said for her that in two years time he would like to see her competing on Senior Roland Garros.

Emmett Egger, played 2nd “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #201 in the USA in under 16 cathegory.
Robert Stineman, played 2nd “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #382 in the USA in under 16 cathegory.
Karen Forman, played 2nd “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #1685 in the USA in under 16 cathegory.
Katie Klyczek, played 2nd “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #332 in the USA in under 16 cathegory.

2004 – 9th Smrikva Bowl and 3rd”Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl
Ivan Levar, 9th Smrikva Bowl 2004 winner, from Croatia, is ranked #11 in Europe in under 14 cathegory. In December 2006, Ivan Levar reached the quarterfinals of under 12 Junior Orange Bowl.
Miki Jankovic, 9th Smrikva Bowl 2004 runner up, from Serbia, is ranked #9 in Europe in under 14 cathegory.

Saska Gavrilovska, 9th Smrikva Bowl 2004 winner, from Serbia, is ranked #418 in the USA in under 12 cathegory. In December 2006, Saska Gavrilovska reached the quarterfinals of under 12 Junior Orange Bowl being 11 years old.
Ecaterina Opriou, 9th Smrikva Bowl 2004 runner up, from Romenia, is ranked #73 in Europe in under 14 cathegory.

Mitchel Polnet, played 3rd “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #81 in the USA in under 14 cathegory.
Rayan Andrada, played 3rd “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #1429 in the USA in under 14 cathegory.
Blair Shankle, played 3rd “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #47 in the USA in under 14 cathegory.
Anna Mamalat, played 3rd “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #58 in the USA in under 14 cathegory.

2005 – 10th Smrikva Bowl and 4th”Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl
Matteo Donati, 10th Smrikva Bowl 2005 winner, from Italy, is ranked #52 in Europe in under 14 cathegory.
Gyore Laszlo, 10th Smrikva Bowl 2005 runner up, from Serbia, is ranked #101 in Europe in under 14 cathegory.
Gianluigi Quinzi, ranked 3rd on 10th Smrikva Bowl 2005, from Italy, is ranked #25 in Europe in under 14 cathegory. Gianluigi is only 11 years old and in this age group Gianluigi’s results are the best resutls in Tennis Europe’s history. Gianluigi Quinzi trains at Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
Harry Busby, ranked 4th on 10th Smrikva Bowl 2005, from UK, is not ranked in Europe in under 14 cathegory. In 2007, Harry Busby won Ouatt Kids Cup World Wide under 11 cathegory.

Saska Gavrilovska, 10th Smrikva Bowl 2005 winner, from Serbia, is ranked #418 in the USA in under 12 cathegory. In December 2006, Saska reached the quarterfinals of under 12 Junior Orange Bowl being 11 years old.
Olga Yanchuk, 10th Smrikva Bowl 2005 runner up, from Ukraine, is ranked #35 in Europe in under 14 cathegory.

Jeffrey Schorsch, played 4th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #32 in the USA in under 12 cathegory.
Jose Gracia, played 4th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #24 in the USA in under 12 cathegory.
Yale Goldberg, played 4th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #17 in the USA in under 12 cathegory.
Dorothy Tang, played 4th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #44 in the USA in under 12 cathegory.

2006 – 11th Smrikva Bowl and 5th”Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl
Gianluigi Quinzi, 11th Smrikva Bowl 2006 winner, from Italy, is ranked #25 in Europe in under 14 cathegory. Gianluigi is only 11 years old and in this age group Gianluigi’s results are the best resutls in Tennis Europe’s history. Gianluigi Quinzi trains at Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
Filip Kraljevic, 11th Smrikva Bowl 2006 runner up, from Croatia, is ranked #9 in Croatia in under 12 cathegory.

Daniel Maese, played 5th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #188 in the USA in under 12 cathegory.
Aries Wong, played 5th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #103 in the USA in under 12 cathegory.
Christina Makarova, played 5th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #196 in the USA in under 12 cathegory.
Gabriella Umoquit, played 5th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #962 in the USA in under 12 cathegory.

Eduardo Nava, played 6th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #163 in the USA in under 12 cathegory.
Tommy Paul, played 6th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #150 in the USA in under 12 cathegory.
Ndindi Ndunda, played 6th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #189 in the USA in under 12 cathegory.
Domonique Garley, played 6th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl, from the USA, is ranked #609 in the USA in under 12 cathegory.