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| 08 Sep 2002 | |
| Gasquet and Kirilenko triumph at Flushing Meadows |
By Eleanor Preston
Richard Gasquet and Maria Kirilenko are the new US Open champions after both scored straight sets wins in Sunday’s boys’ and girls’ finals. Gasquet, who moves to No.1 in the World with his victory, beat Marcos Baghdatis 7-5, 6-2 while Kirilenko was too strong for girls’ top seed Barbora Strycova. Kirilenko beat Strycova 6-4, 6-4 despite being a break down in each set.
"I’m very happy that I won this tournament," said a delighted Kirilenko. "This is my first Grand Slam junior title and I am happy that I won. This is only my third Grand Slam tournament and to win it is like a dream."
Surprisingly it was Strycova, who won the Australian Open title, who looked more nervous of the two. "The whole way through the match I was so nervous and I don’t know why," admitted Strycova. "Maybe it was because she was one year younger or because I really wanted to win but I hate it when I do that because it makes me play so bad. I always shouting and hitting my racket because it made me so frustrated."
Strycova was quick to praise her opponent though, who had to come from 3-1 behind in both sets and played aggressive, smart tennis throughout. "She is a very, very good player, maybe a lot better than people think, and I think she can get even better," said Strycova.
This will be the last year of junior tennis for the Czech, who still has a chance to end the year as girls’ World Champion and she maintained that she was happy with her week’s work in New York despite the result against Kirilenko. "I’ve had a really great week and I’m so glad because the US Open is my favourite tournament," said Strycova. "Before it started I wasn’t playing very well so to make the final makes it a big success for me."
In the boys’ final, Gasquet was again forced to dig himself out of trouble after a slow start. The 16-year-old saved match points in his semi-final against Ryan Henry on Saturday and against Baghdatis he saved five set points at 5-3 in the first set with some sterling defence from the baseline then broke when the Cypriot served for the set in the next game. "At first I was really tired because I had a difficult match yesterday," admitted Gasquet. At 5-4 he was a bit nervous I think."
The US Open marks Gasquet’s second Grand Slam title of the year after he took the Roland Garros crown and he is now in pole position to end the year as World Champion. "I’m very, very happy to win a second Grand Slam because I had a lot of pressure on me at the beginning of the tournament, knowing that if I won here I could be No.1."
Photographs by Susan Mullane
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