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| 06 Jun 2001 | |
| Junior stars light up the night in Paris |
Last year’s ITF Junior World Champions were honoured alongside the senior World Champions, Gustavo Kuerten and Martina Hingis, at the ITF World Champions Dinner in Paris last night.
Andy Roddick, Maria Emilia Salerni, Lee Childs and James Nelson all collected their awards at the ceremony compered by the former Roland Garros Champion Fred Stolle.
Roddick, who has already made quite a name for himself on the professional tour, collected the award for Boys’ Singles World Champion. The American rounded off his junior career last year by leading USA to victory in the ITF Sunshine Cup, the U18 team competition, and has already made his debut in the US Davis Cup team. In his speech last night he stressed the honour that he feels when representing his country and said that he hopes to continue for many years.
Salerni picked up awards for being both Girls’ Singles and Doubles World Champion. As Development was one of the themes for the evening it was particularly fitting that Salerni should be named World Champion as, like Gustavo Kuerten, she has benefited from the ITF Grand Slam Development Fund and travelled with one of the ITF Development teams during her junior career. The Argentine also received a special tribute when Martina Hingis picked up her award as World Champion. It appears the two have become firm friends and hitting partners and Hingis predicted that Salerni could soon be challenging her for the senior World Champion title.
The top boys’ doubles pair Lee Childs and James Nelson are the first Britons ever to receive an ITF World Champions award and they clearly enjoyed the occasion. In his speech Childs said: “I hope I’m invited back again”.
Along with Martina Hingis and Gustavo Kuerten, also collecting awards last night were Doubles World Champions Todd Woodbridge, Ai Sugiyama and Julie Halard-Decugis, and Wheelchair World Champions David Hall and Esther Vergeer.
Click here to view the 2001 Roland Garros picture gallery.
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