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Ryan Sweeting (BAH) US Open Boys Singles Champion

Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 11 Sep 2005

Viktoria Azarenka (BLR) & Alexa Glatch (USA)

Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 11 Sep 2005

US Open Singles Finalists: Alexa Glatch (USA), Viktoria Azarenka (BLR), Ryan Sweeting (BAH), Jeremy Chardy (FRA)

Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 11 Sep 2005

Viktoria Azarenka (BLR) US Open Girls Singles Champion

Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 11 Sep 2005

Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 10 Sep 2005

US Open Champions: Viktoria Azarenka (BLR) & Ryan Sweeting (BAH)

Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 11 Sep 2005

Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 10 Sep 2005

Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 11 Sep 2005

Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 10 Sep 2005

11 Sep 2005 - Flushing Meadows - Eleanor Preston

Sweeting and Azarenka Clinch US Open Titles

Ryan Sweeting became the Bahamas’ first junior grand slam champion by beating Jeremy Chardy of France 64 64 in the US Open final. Viktoria Azarenka of Belarus won the girls’ title with a 63 64 win over American Alexa Glatch to notch up her second junior slam title of the year following her victory at the Australian Open in January.

“I didn't even think I was capable of winning this tournament,” said 18-year-old Sweeting, who had to save five match points in his first round match against Australia’s Carsten Ball. “My goal coming in wasn't to win, it was just to give 100% and play my best, because that's the only thing you can do on the court. You want to win, obviously, but that's not really something you can control. The only thing you can control is playing your best and that's what I did. It worked this week, and I'm just so happy.”

Sweeting is a member of the ITF’s Junior Development Touring Team this year and also plays Davis Cup for the Bahamas alongside veteran Bahamian doubles specialist Mark Knowles, an experience he said helped him when it came to playing the biggest match of his junior career.

“It’s a great advantage playing Davis Cup,” said Sweeting. “You get the experience of hitting with the big guys, with the pros, playing matches with them, seeing how they act, how they behave on the court. You're there with them; you're one of them during those weeks. It's helped me so much handling myself on the court, behaving, staying calm, focused, acting professional, you know, not like a kid.”

After taking his third match point against Chardy, who is the reigning Wimbledon champion, Sweeting fell flat on his back in celebration and lay there with his hands over his eyes before leaping up, shaking hands with Chardy and then running to embrace his coach Nicolas Guizar, who had travelled from their training base in Fort Lauderdale.

“He’s going crazy right now; we've been working so hard to just have all that hard work pay off, he's just as excited as I am. It's just so great,” said Sweeting. He also received a huge hug from his mum Cindy, who had been sitting courtside to watch her son win his first junior grand slam title.

“My mom was crying, my coach was crying too,” said Sweeting. “I wasn't crying, though I had a lot of other emotions going through my head. I was a little overwhelmed and a little relieved as well.”

Azarenka, who was a member of the Under 18 ITF Touring Team last year, said she was thrilled to be a double junior grand slam champion. “In Melbourne it was first time and I didn't know what I was feeling,” said Azarenka, 16. But this time I'm really, really happy because I wanted so much to win this Grand Slam because last year I had opportunity to win it also. I had match points in the semifinals and I missed it. And this year I did it, and I'm really, really happy about it.”

Yesterday the all-American pairing of Donald Young and Alex Clayton beat the Netherlands’ Thiemo de Bakker and Australian Carsten Ball 76 46 75 in a gritty and competitive boys’ doubles final to become US Open champions and win their first grand slam title as a team. Meanwhile Russia’s Alisa Kleybanova and Nikola Frankova (CZE) joined forces to win the US Open girls’ doubles title with a 75 76 win over Glatch and her fellow American Vania King.

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