[Rising Sun]

Shinobu is no.1 seed at All Japan Tennis Championships!

Hope she does well!!

(FYI: Akiko is no.2 seed)

This is exactly what annoys me. Shinobu skips WTA events, yet she enters events such as this which she has nothing to gain from any more.

 

[Sammm]

Can you please tell me a bit more about these All Japan Championships?? Thanks.

 

[ex hopman]

Can you please tell me a bit more about these All Japan Championships?? Thanks.

Shinobu withdrew from the Championships... wonder why...

All Japan Championships have been held since 1920's.
The past woman's champions are Kimiko Date(91, 92), Naoko Sawamatsu (87), Ai Sugiyama (95-97), Mana Endo (93, 97), Yone Kamio (94), Saori Obata (98, 02), Shinobu Asagoe (99), Rika Fujiwara (01), etc. Ai and Rika won the doubles last year.

I guess you could say that after becoming no.1 in Japan many of players like the one I mentioned above stepped up to the world level tennis.

Before Date's era (95 or so), the tournament was held on the second week of the US Open... Those time, no Japanese players could advance to the second week of the US open..., but Date started complaining about the tournament date, and changed to this time of the year now.

This tournament has a history.
This year's no.1 seed is Akiko Morigami. She should win this tournament sometime soon!

 

[oaki]

i miss Akiko so badly go Akiko

and wish u come back soon..Shin chan

 

[Sammm]

Thanks, Ex Hopman!

 

[ex hopman]

According to the newspaper in Japan, Shinobu got injured in Sep...
Was something happened at Japan Open??

 

[Dava]

I hope she is ok! But at least she has the time off to prepare for the next season.

GO SHINO!

 

[Sammm]

Shinobu has entered:
Auckland
Hobart
Melbourne (obv)
It's good she's playing both tournies. She's entered for sydney qulaies, but i suspect she'll choose Hobart.

 

[Rising Sun]

It's scary how many players have been affected negatively at the Japan Open.

Ai - fractured a finger (but managed to do even better after that )
Shinobu - out of action since
Akiko - same as above
Rika - same as above (& her wrist has actually gotten worse!)

Saori Obata & Yuka Yoshida were the only ones not to be physically affected since the Japan Open (touch wood). Unless you count Yuka's upset stomach at Taizhou. :lol:

 

[ex hopman]

Akiko is coming back to play this week at Ariake!

Yea... Shinobu neck problem??

I heard Rika starts practicing now tho...so maybe she'll show up at the year-end tournament!

 

[Rising Sun]

Shinobu won the Izawa Xmas Open.

Here's her 2004 schedule so far:

Week of 05 Jan: Auckland, NZL (Tier V)
Week of 12 Jan: Hobart, AUS (Tier V)
Week of 19 Jan: Aus Open, AUS (GS)
Week of 02 Feb: Tokyo, JPN (Tier I)

I'll be interested to know whether she's decided to go to India & the Gulf or the Americas.

 

[Greenout]

Come on Shinobu!

 

[Perfect_Stroke]

Kristina Brandi (PUR) d. (5) Shinobu Asagoe (JPN) 63 64

 

[Libertango]

 

[Rising Sun]

It was an awful day for Asian tennis. Everybody in Auckland & Gold Coast lost!

 

[Sammm]

Hi guys

Shinobu is the 6th seed in hobart. She plays Callens; let's hope she wins this one!! she's playing dubs with seiko Okamoto, who i've never heard of. Go, Shinobu!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Sammm]

Shinobu beat callens 6-3, 6-3. She and seiko won their doubles match agianst the 4th seeds 6-2, 1-6, 6-2

 

[Libertango]

Shinobu beat Zuluaga, 6-2 6-4, so is through to the semis!

She now plays Brandi, so time for revenge from last week! Go Shinobu!

 

[pcrtennis]

Go Shinobu!!!

 

[ex hopman]

Good luck, Shino!