 Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 28 Jan 2005 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 28 Jan 2005 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 28 Jan 2005 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 28 Jan 2005 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 28 Jan 2005 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 28 Jan 2005 |  Photographer: None / Not Applicable
Date: 28 Jan 2005 |
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| 28 Jan 2005 - Melbourne, Australia - Eleanor Preston | |
| Bubka makes a name for himself |
Sergei Bubka could soon be famous in his own right after marching through to the semi-finals of the Australian Open juniors. Bubka, whose father Sergei is one of the most famous sportsmen of the last 30 years, earned his place in the last four at Melbourne Park with a 7-5. 7-5 win over Slovakian Lukas Lacko.
“I hope that after this tournament people will know me as one of the best juniors in the world, and not just as the son of someone famous,” said the17-year-old Ukrainian, whose father made his name as an Olympic pole vaulter. “I’ve been in the top ten of the junior rankings for a while but doing well here might mean people start to look at me as a promising professional tennis player. That’s what I want.”
When Bubka takes on American Donald Young in Saturday’s semi-finals it will mark the 17-year-old Ukrainian’s first appearance at this stage of a junior grand slam.
“I knew if I played well that I would win so I was confident before today’s match,” said Bubka, who is coached by Austrian Thomas Bishop. “It’s very, very important to do well at the junior grand slams because it gives you a really good start to your career. For me this shows how much I’ve improved already this year.”
Young, seeded second, came into the semis courtesy of a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Marin Cilic of Croatia.
Top seed Sun-Yong Kim plays Robin Haase in Saturday’s other boys’ semi-final. Haase, of the Netherlands, was too strong for Timothy Neilly, beating the American 6-3, 6-2.
“I’m seeded fourth so I’ve done what I was supposed to do and getting to the semis is great because anyone can beat anyone in the early rounds,” said Haase. “Everything from now on is a bonus. I’ve done well so far and now I’m hoping for more.”
In the girls’ semi-finals top seeded Belarussian Viktoria Azarenka should face a tough challenge from Canada’s Aleksandra Wozniak, while second seed Timea Bacsinszky will have to cope with Hungary’s Agnes Szavay.
Bacsinszky eased past Monica Niculescu of Romania 7-6, 6-4 in Friday’s quarter-final, a player she had lost to in their two previous meetings.
“I went to the court very low on confidence because of my record against her but once we started playing I realised what I had to do to beat her,” said Bacsinszky. From then on I knew that even if she was leading that I was better than her. It’s a big confidence boost to beat her.”
Saturday will mark Bacsinszky’s third junior grand slam semi-final after she made the last four in Australia last year and again at Roland Garros. “I learned from those matches and I think that should help me,” she said. “I had set points in both of them but I just didn’t play the big points well. Now I realise how important it is to focus on each ball. I’m taking positive things from every match I play.”
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