INTERNATIONAL CASABLANCA TENNIS JUNIOR CUP
STORY OF LEYENDS AND TRADITION

International Casablanca Tennis Junior Cup invites one to ponder and search back into one’s memories.

Some first-class national and international tennis legends have set foot upon Casablanca Satelite and Santa Monica courts, all with innocent and bright looks on their faces, a sign of what the new horizon held for them. These men and women wrote, and some continue to do so, golden stories worth telling and they have done so with their racquets, the sole weapon they possessed, and have entered the world of the tennis Gods.

The first stone in the foundations of this great story was placed by a tennis player who needs no presentation: Ivan Lendl. In 1977, when the International Casablanca Cup was only an exhibition tournament, the Czech player played the semi-finals. Years later he would get to win the US Open three times, the Australian Open and Roland Garros twice and a three time finalist on Wimbledon’s sacred grass.

Nowadays is distant that 1978. The contest was seen differently by everyone, depending on what ones personal interests were. Some saw it as an experiment while to others it was only a dream. This was the second occasion that there was tennis of high level in Casablanca. Andres Gomez Santos, the “golden lefty”, born in Guayaquil, Ecuador impressed all with his shots and level of play. He was one of the Cup finalists that year, but would then go to win Roland Garros and became his country’s tennis glory at the age of 28.

The 80´s start was brilliant for Mexican tennis players. In the winter of 1980 at the III Casablanca World Cup, Jorge Lozano and Rafael Belmar won the doubles title and became in the first two Mexican players in reaching the stardom. One year later, during the IV Casablanca World Cup, Francisco Maciel, current President of the Mexican Tennis Federation, faced Jorge Lozano in the finals. Maciel won the Cup and Lozano and Belmar won the doubles title for the second straight year. The story of two national heroes began.

In the Casablanca World Cup’s fifth edition, in 1982, the Mexican players continued making history for their country. Great international figures also appeared in Casablanca Satelite like Emilio and Javier Sánchez Vicario, heads of what was known as the “Spanish Armed Team” and an Austrian player, named Thomas Muster, who was the youngest player number one in the world. However, the V Casablanca World Cup would be remembered for being the first in which a Mexican player, Fernando Pérez Pascal, would become two time champion, the first time in the tournament’s history.

During the last week of 1983, the great Argentinean tennis player, Gabriela Sabatini, who won the US Open at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in Flushing Meadows, N. Y. in 1990 , made an excellent tournament, but she only reached the semi-finals of the VI Casablanca World Cup. Meanwhile, Thomas Muster conquered the doubles title along side his compatriot Alexander Antonitsch.

In 1984 the Mexican tennis witnessed two historic events. During the VII Edition of the competition, Agustín “Bebe” Moreno, played both the singles and doubles finals without winning either. And during the summer, only a few months earlier, the Cup’s former champion, Francisco Maciel, won the silver medal in the Olympic Games of Los Angeles.

The VIII International Ford-Casablanca Cup will be remembered because justice was made. It was the fifth participation of “Bebe” Moreno. He came back with more desire than ever and had a tangible outcome. Moreno and Arturo Márquez defeated Alejandro Oncins y Mauricio Aquino, from Brazil, in the doubles final.

The second half of the decade was not so prosperous for national players; nonetheless, the Mexican audience had the opportunity to enjoy two consecutive appearances (IX and X versions of the Cup), of the ex-champion of Wimbledon, the Croatian, Goran Ivanisevic. In 1986, he had to console himself with the second place in singles. However, during the tournament’s tenth anniversary in 1987, he defeated Luis Enrique Herrera to win the title.

At the end of the 80´s, the Mexican, Oliver Fernandez put a spectacular closing to ten years of great results for Mexican junior tennis. During the XII Casablanca International Cup, Oliver obtained a double title when defeating, in singles final, Ivan Baron (USA), the defending champion, and also he defeated Greg Rusedski (CAN) / Ernesto Ponce (MEX) in doubles final, along with Mark Merklin from the United States.

The beginning of the last decade of the millennium, gave rise to the first women’s title for Mexico. In 1990 Aranzazú Gallardo became in the first woman in winning the singles title during the XIII Casablanca International Cup. And although many great female players have participated in Casablanca’s competition, her title remains intact.

Jorge Esqueda continued the winning streak that Mexico witnessed at the beginning of the 90´s. He became in the first Mexican in winning this competition consecutively in 1991 and 1992 at the age of 16 and 17, respectively. He conquered the XIV and XV Casablanca International Cups with completely packed stadiums at Club Casablanca Satelite.

Fifteen years later, in 1993, Ricardo Rosas, another Mexican player stood out again. He displayed a great level of play during the XVI Edition of the tournament and he was able to reach the singles and doubles finals. However, it was not enough to win any of them and he had to resign with the second place in both finals.

Alex Hernández, third ranked in the XVII Casablanca International Icy Break Cup and ex-member of the Mexican Davis Cup Team, advanced to the final, displaying style, elegance and hierarchy. However, just like Ricardo Rosas, the previous year, he was unable to defeat his rival and took second place. That same winter of 1994, Jessica Fernandez gave Mexican presence in the women’s division, but like Alex, she fell short of the first place when losing against the Austrian Barbara Schwarts.

In the XVIII edition of the Casablanca Cup, the rhythm was set by non other than Sebastien Grosjean, who one year after winning this editions singles and doubles titles, was ranked number one worldwide at the junior level. He also was semi-finalist of the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

The XIX Casablanca Milo International Cup was won by a Chilean national who needs no presentation; Nicolás Massu, the 2004 Olympic gold medal winner in singles and doubles. At Casablanca Satelite he defeated the Israeli Andy Ram in the final. At that same edition, Alejandra Hernández along side Sanja Bajin (CAN) disputed the doubles final but was defeated. 

In 1996 we are stopped in our tracks because there is a name we all know: Roger Federer. Born in Basil, Switzerland on the 8th of August 1981, he is currently ranked the best in the world. He is a tennis making machine and Rafa Nadal´s arch rival. Federer, took part in the XIX Edition of the Cup, defeating four Mexicans in the first round but Super Roger’s dream was cut short in the following round.

As the millenniums last decade came to a close, the Casablanca Organization lived unforgettable moments. In 1997 the International Casablanca Tennis Junior Cup reached its twentieth year. Mexico’s representation was headed by Bruno Echagaray, currant Davis Cup player and by Melissa Torres, currently Mexico’s best female player and former National Champion. The winners of this important edition were Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi (PAK) and Nadejda Petrova (RUS), who won the title without losing a single set.

1998 was also a special year for the XXI Casablanca Cup. Due to the importance it had obtained of the years, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) classified it as Group I, considering it one of the best in the world. Dominik Meffert, entered the books not only as the winner but also as the first champion from unified Germany. In the women’s division, Ansley Cargill (USA) was crowned the winner.

Now as an ITF Group I Cup, Santiago González and Bruno Echagaray, one of the top doubles in the sports history, held the public in awe during the XXII Cup edition and were crowned the winners after defeating the North American pair, Jason Zimmerman and Matthew Emery (USA).

Echegaray and González got off to a great start in the third millennium. They were ranked number one in doubles during the XXIII Cup in 2001. This dynamic duo advanced through the rounds defeating Darko Madjarovski y Janko Tiparevic (YUG). Melissa Torres (MEX) and Maria Eugenia Brito (MEX) tried to emulate the male performance but could not.

Matea Mezak, a Croatian, knew that perseverance is a unique value in athletes and during the XXIV Casablanca International Youth Tennis Cup; Mezak reached the final for the third time. On the first two occasions, she competed in doubles. This third occasion presented her with the opportunity to reverse previous outcomes and she did. Mezak defeated her Dutch rival, Silvana Bauer in a bursting Casablanca Satelite Stadium. On the other side, Marcos Baghdatis, a 16 years old player from Cyprus, with a great physical strength, won the boy’s singles title. He reached the Australian Open 2006 finals, after defeating several seeded players and losing with the number one of the world and also ex-player Casablanca Roger Federer.

As the present approaches we are forced to speak of more recent champions. On the XXV occasion that Casablanca Satelite hosted the most important junior tennis tournament in Latin America, the European continent completely dominates the competition. The German, Jerome Becker and the Dutch player, Michaela Krajicek won the singles titles. And once again Melissa Torres makes her presence felt in the doubles final although she fell short once again.

The XXVI International Casablanca Tennis Junior Cup was played in December 2003, where the stars and stripes overwhelmed the Casablanca Satelite Stadium and podium. Phillip Simmonds, of African origin but an American National and Julia Cohen (USA) were crowned champions. And in doubles, Simmonds and his American partner Timothy Neilly took the title as well.

Finally, December of 2004 will remain a turning point in the minds of those who once dreamed of the tournament´s possibilities and that today is a reality. After being classified as a Grade I competition at the end of the 90´s, in February of this year, the Casablanca Cup received a Grade A title, the maximum rank given to tournaments worldwide and the Grade that only eight other competitions on earth share: Wimbledon, Roland Garros, Australian Open, US Open, Geradau Cup, Italian Junior Open, Orange Bowl and the Osaka Major’s Cup.

The champions of the XXVII International Corona-Casablanca Tennis Junior Cup 2004 were Donald Young (USA) and Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) in singles. Juan Martin del Potro (ARG)/ David Navarrete (VEN) and Aleksandra Wozniak / Jan Yung Chang (CHI) won the doubles titles of their corresponding divisions. All have experienced the glory of victory in this event. Young closed 2004 as number one in his age group and Wozniak has moved on to become a professional in the sport.

The XXVIII International Corona-Casablanca Tennis Junior Cup that was held on December 2005 had the participation of a numerous contingent of Mexican players, headed by Valeria Pulido. Once again, Julia Cohen came back to demand her throne, winning her second singles title when defeating the Dutch girl Marrit Boonstra in three disputed sets. Cohen could not reach both titles, singles and doubles, because she lost along side her partner Valeria Pulido (MEX), against the Dutch couple with Boonstra and Renée Reinhard. Thiemo de Bakker the “tulip from Netherlands” defeated in singles Nicolás Santos (BRA). De Bakker was double champion, because he defeated Kellen Damico and Nathaniel Schnugg from the United States, with his compatriot Peter Lucassen.

In this occasion the finals were dressed of orange color, because the invincible Dutch team appeared in all of them, winning three of the four disputed titles.

Julia Cohen was the third player in winning this tournament twice. Previously, Hu-Na from China won in 1980 and 1981, III and IV Cups, and Ansley Cargill in 1998 and 1999, XXI and XXII Cups. Cohen promised to return and win the XXIX Cup next year. She wanted to be the only player in winning this tournament three times.

The XXIX International Casablanca Tennis Junior Cup, the first tournament of the International Tennis Federation Junior Circuit 2007, will be printed in golden pages. Eduardo Peralta from Mexico, touched the glory, defeating the Moldavian player Radu Albot with a definitive score of 6-1, 6-2. In addition, this event had another excellent aspect: Julia Cohen did what she promised. She came back and won her third crown in singles. Nobody had done this before. Cohen also won the doubles title with Valeria Pulido (MEX), as her partner, who was a great motivation for the audience, but she lost in semifinals against Ksenia Pervak (RUS).

The doubles title championship was retained by Kellen Damico, the last year champion in doubles, but now with Jonathan Eysseric from France.

All the above events, the players and organizers have constructed a history and a legacy and have made of this tournament a tradition. Thirty years ago the Casablanca Cup was only a project and an idea. Today it is a reality filled with magic and heroes.

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