At The Open With Marcia Frost...

Thursday, September 7th-Junior Singles, Day Five
The surprise story of the day at the Open seems to be Robby Ginepri. Just a few weeks shy of his 18th birthday, he is pulling upsets in both singles and doubles.

Ginepri and partner Tres Davis -- with whom he won the Boys' 18 Super Nationals doubles title, upset the No. 2 seeded team of Todor Enev/Joachim Johansson. (Ginepri had upset Enev in the singles also.) Though the seeded duo took the first set, Davis/Ginepri came back and won the next two without a major struggle. They took the match, 3-6,6-2,6-4.

As if the spot in the doubles semifinal was not enough, Ginepri also earned his way into the singles quarterfinals. The first set against Hiroki Kondo of Japan was a tough one and Ginepri pulled it out in a tiebreaker, 7-6(5). Things didn't look good when Kondo took the next set, 3-6, but Ginepri rallied and won the final set easily at 6-1. The No. 12 seeded Ytai Abougzir also won his place in the quarters by topping Ivan Stelko, 6-4,7-6(3).

On the girls side, the Americans have dwindled down. There are no Americans left in the girls doubles. There were no upsets, though, No. 2 seeded Aniko Kapros/Christina Wheeler were pushed to a third set in a tight match against Beygelzimer/Fokina. Kapros/Wheeler prevailed, 3-6,7-6(3),6-2.

The lone American in the girls singles draw is Ashley Harkleroad, who recently turned professional. She got by Annette Kolb easily in the first set, 6-2. In the second set Kolb was forced to retire from an injury. The other American pro left in the singles draw, Andy Roddick, continues to devour his opponents. Yesterday he eased past James Nelson, 6-2,6-1.

Tomorrow features the singles quarterfinals and doubles semifinals. We're nearing the end.