[Monaco]

I wanted to ask our Japanese members and our Asian specialists why there's been a decline in Japanese tennis in the last few years.

From 1990-95 they had Date, Sawamatsu, Endo, the Kijimuta sisters, Miyagi, Hiraki, Kidowaki, Kamio, Nagatsuka, etc. At one stage I think they had like 10 players in the Top 100. Now they have two.

There does not seem to be any young player coming up.

 

[Martian KC]

I'm not an Asian specialist or Japanese, but I'll try to answer your question. <img src="wink.gif" border="0">

I think they felt confident about having one of their own(Kimiko) in the top 10 consistently! They fed of her and got themselves pretty successful. <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

 

[Rising Sun]

There aren't that many "really" talented Japanese juniors as there are in the likes of Angie and Su-Wei.

The main reason is because there is no proper National Development program like there is in China. The juniors are responsible for their own training and have to privately search for a coach.

Ai Sugiyama has spoke about this, I really hope she tries to do something once her own career is over.

 

[Steveg]

National Development Program : or like there is in France.

UK has "imported" our Patrice Hagelauer and you see from time to time in American reviews that they envy our system.

I just hope that it will be a while before Ai considers doing something about it. She still has some years in front of her.

And she is getting close to the top 20 again, in particular after Indian Wells.

It would be great that she can go up in both singles and doubles this year .

 

[Steveg]

Saori Obata has lost in Q1 of Nasdaq 100 .

 

[Steveg]

Kroger St. Jude - Memphis, TN, USA

Doubles Final

Akiko Morigami/Saori Obata (JPN/JPN) d Alina Jidkova/Bryanne Stewart (RUS/AUS) 61 61

Bryanne Stewart, Alina Jidkova, Akiko Morigami and Saori Obata (L-R) during the doubles presentation

Akiko Morigami and Saori Obata hold the winners trophies with pride

 

[Rising Sun]

Congrats to Saori & Akiko.

It was the 1st time they had ever won a WTA maindraw doubles match together, and they ended up winning the whole thing.

This should bring their rankings from about 300 to 160s.

 

[OKANO]

YEAH!

Congrats to AKKO and SAOCHIN !!!

 

[Shine On Silver Moon]

KONNICHIWA

Congrats and big omedetou to Akiko and Saori!!! Gee, Saori looks old here...I have been watching Japanese girls when they used to come here for junior tourneys or senior players for 10Ks...IMO, I used to see many talented junior players from Japan...One of the good outcome is Akiko Morigami, I used to see her when she was still teenager...I knew it at that time, she would be big one day and she is starting now to rise...I think, Japanese players are good in juniors but I do not know with the follow-up afterwards...Doshite?

Well, here in Indonesia, Yayuk Basuki is starting...She has big concerned for developing junior players...Next week, her own company is organizing a national junior tournament which is sponsored by private national pharmaceutical company...It is for 14 yo and 16 yo...It is going to be held in Senayan Tennis Complex, Jakarta and it is the 1st leg of 3 tourneys...The next one is in June and the final leg is in September...For the champs, the prize is to be sent to junior international tourney abroad or Grand Slam event!!! You've got to start from juniors...then it is important how to grab the talented ones...! The national tennis fed here is going to give scholarship for talented players to study in US universities and to play tennis at the same time...Here in Indonesia, we envy Japanese players who can travel anywhere...Ganbatte kudasai!

 

[Rising Sun]

The National Indoor Championships are on this week at Kyoto.

I'm not sure who the top seed will be, but Yuka Yoshida will be there.

 

[ex hopman]

Women's singles
Seeded players
#1 Miho Saeki
#2 Yuka Yoshida
#3 Seiko Okamoto
#4 Shiho Hisamatsu

Yuka is playing today (3/4 JPN time)