 Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 10 Sep 2006 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 10 Sep 2006 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 10 Sep 2006 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 10 Sep 2006 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 10 Sep 2006 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 10 Sep 2006 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 10 Sep 2006 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 10 Sep 2006 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 10 Sep 2006 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 09 Sep 2006 |
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| 11 Sep 2006 - Flushing Meadows, New York - Eleanor Preston | |
| Lojda and Pavlyuchenkova crowned US Open champions |
Czech Dusan Lojda and Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova were the toast of New York on Sunday after winning the US Open junior titles. Lojda beat Canadian Peter Polansky 7-6, 6-3 to win the boys’ title; Pavlyuchenkova had to battle for more than two-and-a-half hours to squeak out a 3 6, 6 4, 7 5 against Austria’s Tamira Paszek. 15-year-old Pavlyuchenkova is now almost certain to end the season as junior World No.1.
It marked a debut major title at junior level for Lojda. He had never appeared in a junior grand slam final before, though nobody watching him power past Polansky would have believed that. After a close first set, he came from a mini-break down in the tiebreaker and looked imperious from then on. Polansky, who knocked out a string of seeds en route to the final, had no answer.
“I think it’s unbelievable that I won right now,” said Lojda, who has already begun mixing junior events with ITF Futures tournaments as he makes the transition to the men’s circuit. “I'm very happy. I think we showed to the people very good match today. It was very tough. I'm very happy. I think it's very big point, because the winner of the US Open is unbelievable. I think I was playing good this year, so I had good results. But this was I think important for me. So I think I will play just better and better, step by step, to the ATP Tour probably.”
Polansky made no excuses afterwards, giving due credit to the new champion. “I’m a little disappointed, I made it all the way to the final and I lost,” said Polansky. “The fact is that he played really well, so, I mean, I'm disappointed but, I mean, I tried my best. I played okay. You know, he just came out there the better player today. He just wasn't missing, hitting lots of winners with his backhand. It was tough.”
Pavlyuchenkova arrived in New York already a junior grand slam champion, having won the Australian Open title in January. After outlasting Paszek in a match rich in quality tennis from both sides, she was full of praise for the vanquished opponent. “It was so difficult. She played really great tennis. She moved me around. I played her before so I think she knows my game a little bit,” said the Russian. “I know her pretty well. She's a really nice girl. I like her like as a person. We always were talking during this tournament, congratulating each other every time. I actually didn't think that we will be in the finals playing against each other. She told me that it was great match, thanks for the game. So, you know, it's really good for her, and it's really nice that she's like that.”
There was no room for friendship on the court, though. The crucial game came when Pavlyuchenkova served for the second set. Paszek mustered opportunities to break back, but Pavlyuchenkova held firm, leaving the Austrian to eventually collect another runner-up trophy to add to her second placing at the 2005 Wimbledon junior tournament.
Pavlyuchenkova didn’t have everything her own way though. She and Sharon Fichman of Canada lost their doubles final 7-5, 6-2 to Romanians Raluca Olaru and Mihaela Buzarnescu, denying Pavlyuchenkova the chance to achieve the junior doubles grand slam by winning her fourth junior doubles trophy of the year.
Americans Nathaniel Schnugg and Jamie Hunt won the boys’ doubles title with a 6-3, 6-3 over countrymen Jarmere Jenkins and Austin Krajicek.
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