 Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 10 Sep 2007 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 10 Sep 2007 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 10 Sep 2007 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 10 Sep 2007 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 10 Sep 2007 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 10 Sep 2007 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 10 Sep 2007 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 10 Sep 2007 |
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| 09 Sep 2007 - Flushing Meadows, New York - Eleanor Preston |  Related Audio |
| Berankis and Kucova triumph at US Open |
 An Interview with US Open boys' champion Ricardas Berankis (MP3 format)
An interview with US Open girls' champion Kristina Kucova (MP3 format)
An Interview with US Open girls' runner-up Urszula Radwanska (MP3 format)
 
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Lithuania’s Ricardas Berankis and the Slovak Republic’s Kristina Kucova are the new junior US Open champions after they scored contrasting wins on a fascinating final day at Flushing Meadows. While Berankis was dominant throughout his 6-3, 6-4 win over Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz; Kucova needed more than two hours to defeat Poland’s Urszula Radwanska 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 in a girls’ final which fizzed with drama and emotion.
Berankis, who is on the ITF Development Team, took his place in his country’s history by beating Janowicz. He is the first Lithuanian to win a junior grand slam title but his victory represented a breakthrough for him as an individual as well a breakthrough for his nation. Berankis had previously reached two junior grand slam semifinals but winning a junior grand slam title marked a huge step forward for the 17-year-old. “It feels very good. It’s just an unbelievable feeling,” said Berankis afterwards. “It was actually the third Grand Slam I played pretty well, and I won it, so it feels good.”
An hour after trading blows with Janowicz, Berankis found himself on court again, this time hitting with World No.1 Roger Federer, who regularly practices with young players and is a great supporter of junior tennis. Federer invited Berankis to practice with him in Dubai earlier this year and asked him to help him warm up for his men’s final against Novak Djokovic. “He's like the God of tennis right now. So when you see the other person standing on the other side, of course it's different for you,” said Berankis. “I think it gives me confidence, you know, when you see the No. 1 on the other side and you're playing yourself.”
As is customary for the US Open junior champions, Berankis and Kucova both received their trophies on the Arthur Ashe stadium and stayed to watch the men’s final, held later on Sunday afternoon. Needless to say, Berankis made it clear whose side he would be on. “I think I'm going to cheer for Roger because I know him better than Djokovic,” said Berankis, with a smile. Kucova, on the other hand, was determined to support the Serbian after his coach Marian Vajda gave her a ticket. “Djokovic is my favourite,” she said.
Kucova is unlikely to forget the experience of winning her first junior grand slam title, especially as she too made history for her country by being the first Slovakian girl to win a junior grand slam title (Martin Klizan won the boys’ Roland Garros title in 2006). The unseeded 17-year-old had to fight with every muscle and sinew against Radwanska, battling through a tight third set despite finding herself two points away from defeat when she struggled to hold serve late on. Both players struggled to contain their emotions as the match became more and more tense but it was Kucova who ultimately managed to cope with the occasion better and find her best tennis in the deciding tiebreaker.
“I still can't believe it. It's a wonderful feeling. It's amazing. I can say nothing,” said Kucova. She admitted that she was more nervous about having to stand on the 23,000-seater Arthur Ashe stadium court than she had been for the match. “It was my dream. I was so happy that I can be on Arthur Ashe, to look up and see myself on the big screen. It was so, so nice really.”
Radwanska, who is the reigning junior Wimbledon champion, could take consolation by from the fact that she is now almost certain to end the season as World No.1, ahead of Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, after her efforts in winning the doubles title (with Belarussian Ksenia Milevskaya) and being runner-up in singles at Flushing Meadows. “Maybe I was more tired than her,” said Radwanska, who had played five sets of tennis in singles and doubles on the previous day. “Maybe that was the difference, I don’t know. It’s been a great week for me, though. I’ve learned something from every match I’ve played.”
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> Junior US Open Preview
> US Open Acceptance Lists
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