Tennis: School calls whizz-kid

It's back to the classroom tomorrow for whizz-kid Marina Erakovic after she bagged her second professional singles title in three weeks in Victoria yesterday.

The 17-year-old beat sixth-seeded Australian Emily Hewson 6-3 3-6 6-4 to win the US$10,000 ($13,424) Yarrawonga grasscourt title, to follow her win at Warnambool a fortnight ago.

In between, Erakovic was beaten in the final of the Benalla event on the three-tournament Victorian grasscourt circuit aimed at up-and-coming players.

"That'll be a bit of a shock," Erakovic said of her return to Glendowie College tomorrow, having travelled by train to Melbourne last night before flying home today.

"But I'm very happy with the way it's all going, especially getting this grasscourt experience. I've played a lot of good tennis in these last few weeks. Every tournament I'm going to is beneficial."

In the final set yesterday, Erakovic got an early 2-0 break, then Hewson caught up. They traded service games until the New Zealander broke her opponent in the ninth game, then served out for the title.

"I knew it was going to be a tough match, but I felt I was a bit tougher [than Hewson]."

Hewson is ranked No 399 in the world. Erakovic beat her in both previous tournaments and can expect her ranking, now at No 613, to be on the verge of the top 400. In the past three weeks, Erakovic has picked up a string of scalps of players ranked inside the world 500.

Erakovic is to have three weeks working on her studies, along with practice sessions, ahead of the Fed Cup in New Delhi next month.

She is sitting three Year 13 topics this year and, having passed her exams last year with flying colours, they will be enough to obtain university entrance marks.

Erakovic, who played her first professional event at the ASB Classic in Auckland in January, beating world No 148 Canadian Marie-Eve Pelletier in her opening match, has a busy year, juggling studies, world junior events - she is defending US Open doubles champion and ranked in the world top 10 juniors - and hoping to get some higher rating tournaments starts as well.

Meanwhile, in the United States Leanne Baker and doubles partner Francesca Lubiani of Italy have reached the final of the US$50,000 event at Orange, California.

The pair, the beaten finalists at the ASB Classic in January, were forced to play their quarter-final and semifinal on the one day and duly won both matches.

In the quarters, they defeated Argentine Erica Krauth and Czech Vladimira Uhlirova 4-6 6-1 6-2 followed by a straight set 6-4 6-0 over Spaniard Nuria Llagostera and German Julia Scruff.

The Kiwi and Italian now face the unseeded American team of Jennifer Hopkins and Carly Gullickson for the title.