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| 02 Sep 2007 - Flushing Meadows, New York - Eleanor Preston | |
| Radwanska sister act bags win |
Reigning girls’ Wimbledon champion Urszula Radwanska of Poland began her campaign to win back-to-back junior grand slam titles on Sunday, beating Tanya Raykova of Bulgaria 6-4, 6-1 to move through to the second round of the US Open junior tournament.
It has already been a big week for the Radwanska family. Saturday saw elder sister (and former junior Wimbledon and US Open champion) Agnieszka Radwanska knock second seed Maria Sharapova out of the women’s event, a win which ensured that both sisters will get new Louis Vuitton handbags. Agnieszka promised her younger sister a handbag from the exclusive designer’s range if she beat Sharapova and Urszula cannot wait to collect her prize. “They closed the shops yesterday because it was too late but for sure we will do it,” said Urszula Radwanska. “I think I will have to buy her something if I win the juniors. I’m not sure what I will buy her yet but it will have to be something nice!”
Urszula Radwanska’s impressive Wimbledon victory means she comes into this year’s US Open juniors as second seed and as a potential rival to reigning champion and top seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia, who faces New Yorker Gail Brodsky in the first round. Ksenia Milevskaya and two-time grand slam finalist Madison Brengle of the USA should also be considered threats to Pavlyuchenkova’s crown.
“Now I’m a little bit like a favourite and I feel a little bit of pressure to play very good here but that is good for me,” said Radwanska. “It’s good motivation for me. I like hard-courts; maybe grass is better for me, but hard-courts are good because I play an aggressive game. I like it when it’s sunny and when it’s hot like this.”
In the boys’ draw ninth seeded American Rhyne Williams overcame a difficult first round draw against his friend and sometime hitting partner Cesar Ramirez of Mexico. “He’s a good player; I’ve known him for two or three years. He’s a typical grinder; he gets a lot of balls back and he’s got a heavy forehand and a big serve. I played pretty well today and my serve got me out of trouble on many occasions. I’m just glad to get my first win at the US Open.”
Williams played the US Open juniors last year after receiving a wildcard from the United States Tennis Association but he was overcome by nerves, so yesterday’s win came as a relief. “Last year I came out here and I couldn’t even play because I was so nervous. I didn’t have a chance the whole match. This year it was a lot different,” said Williams. I’m going to try and improve match by match.” Williams plays another familiar face in the second round, Portugal’s Gastao Elias, a fellow trainee at Nick Bollettieri’s Academy in Florida. “We practiced a lot together at Bollettieri’s. Some people don’t like playing a buddy but it’s fine,” said Williams. “I know his game pretty well and my coach knows his game pretty well so I’m sure we can come up with a good gameplan.”
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