At The Open With Marcia Frost...
Sunday, September 9th-Junior Championships Day Seven
Finalist Yeu-Tzuoo Wang &
Winner Gilles Muller
Finalist Svetlana Kuznetsova
& Winner Marion Bartoli
The final trophies were just handed out to the juniors in Arthur Ashe stadium. Before Pete and Lleyton stood Marion Bartoli of France and Gilles Muller of Luxemborg to collect their prizes.
As the top seed in the boys singles draw, Gilles had a pretty easy time on his way to the finals. The junior Wimbledon finalist came out tough against Yeu-Tzuoo Wang, prepared to battle the 16 year old to the end. The first set was a tough one of multiple deuces and constant break backs. It played into a tiebreaker which Gilles just squeaked by at 7/5.
In the second set, Yeu-Tzuoo was treated for tightness in his thigh. At that point it was a close 2-0 to Gilles, but the lead just widened as Yeu-Tzuoo could not hold on and finally succumbed at 6-2.
The win gave Gilles Muller everything he was looking for this year. The eighteen year-old said, "I reached two goals this week: I won the Grand Slam and I went to No. 1 now (in the ITF Junior World Rankings)."
The match between Marion Bartoli and Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova was an entirely different story. There was not a point where it was clear who the winner would be. Each player traded control. Svetlana took the first set a very close 6-4, while Marion commanded the second, 6-3. The third was completely up for grabs as the breaks and advantages went back and forth. It was Marion who did it in the end, needing four match points to reach her 4-6,6-3,6-4 win.
Marion Bartoli, who will turn 17 in just a few weeks, had this to say about her strong opponent, "I think it was a very difficult win today. She played very good. She hit a very hard ball, you know." Marion plans to continue a little while longer in the juniors, playing the Orange Bowl in December.
Through the Qualifying, the Main Draw and the Junior Tournament, the juniors played on for three weeks. There were days of heat, injuries, triumphs and defeats, but it is all settled now. A few went home with trophies and a few went home with something just as important -- Grand Slam memories that will last a life time.
Until Next Year...
