 Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 09 Sep 2007 | | | | | |
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| 09 Sep 2007 - Flushing Meadows, New York - Eleanor Preston |  Related Audio |
| Poles power ahead at the US Open |
 An Interview with Jerzy Janowicz (MP3 format)
An Interview with Ricardas Berankis (MP3 format)
An interview with Kristina Kucova (MP3 format)
An Interview with Urszuka Radwanska (MP3 format)
 
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Poland could be on the verge of a double junior grand slam victory after Jerzy Janowicz and Urszula Radwanska moved into US Open finals on Saturday. Janowicz will play Lithuania’s Ricardas Berankis for his first junior grand slam title; while Radwanska will be hoping to add to the Wimbledon trophy she won in July when she takes on Slovakia’s Kristina Kucova.
Janowicz was too strong for Thomas Fabbiano in the semifinals, beating the Italian 62, 6-7, 7-6 with the aid of some giant serving. Janowicz is 16 but already stands at 2.2 metres tall and can serve at more than 130mph. “This is the happiest day of my life,” said Janowicz, through a translator. “I hope that tomorrow is the first of many more days like this in my career.”
At least Janowicz has all the right gear to wear against Fabbiano. At Wimbledon he got himself into trouble in the boys’ qualifying rounds when he discovered that he had no grass court shoes and was so desperate that he tried to borrow some from 6ft 10 Ivo Karlovic. “I wear size 15 shoes and companies don’t make shoes in that size and I didn’t have any grass court shoes,” explained Janowicz. “I asked Karlovic to lend me some but he said no because he only had two pairs himself. In the match it was really funny because I was slipping all over the place. I have got lots of shoes now!”
Janowicz said that he was delighted that Poland was enjoying such a successful US Open. Agnieszka Radwanska knocked out Maria Sharapova to reach the fourth round of the women’s event and her sister Urzsula has also been in devastating form in the juniors. She had to come from a set down against her doubles partner Ksenia Milevskaya in Saturday’s semifinals but managed to beat the Belarussian 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 and set up a final showdown with Kucova, whom she beat en route to winning the girls’ title at Wimbledon. “It doesn’t make a difference to play my doubles partner,” said Radwanska, who later teamed up with Milevskaya to beat Oksana Kalishnikova of Georgia and Ksenia Lykina of Russia 6-1, 6-2 to win the girls’ doubles title. “She is a great player and she played very, very well against me. I would rather have her on my side of the net!”
Kucova said she was thrilled to have a chance to play for a junior grand slam final. “I feel really good and I still can’t believe it but I’m going to play a good match tomorrow,” said Kucova. “Before the tournament I didn’t look at the draw or look at the next round, and concentrated on every point and every game. I don’t know what my secret is doing well but I am running well and serving better. I’m just playing my game.” Kucova has been well supported by a large group of Slovakian fans so far but, sadly for her, they will not be there to cheer for her against Radwanska. “They have to work,” she said. “It will be hard to do it without them but I think I will be ready. I have had really great support here.”
Berankis was equally delighted to beat Matteo Trevisan of Italy 7-6, 6-4 and give himself a breakthrough here at the US Open. “It’s is very exciting. Today was my third time of being in the semifinals of a junior grand slam and it feels really good to reach the final,” said Berankis. “I don’t what has made the difference – everything I think, in my confidence. We prepared very well for this tournament for a long time. I know I believe I can win. I don’t think I’ll be nervous; at least I will try not to be. I think it depends on how well I play. If I win the title it would mean a lot for my country and for me and for my people. It would be really nice but I can’t think about that too much. It is better if I don’t think about it.”
In the boys’ doubles final, Jonathan Eysseric and Jerome Inzerillo of France overcame Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov and Canada’s Vasek Posipsil 62 64 to win their first title together.
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