Return to the ITF homepage
Jump to more ITF websites
Return to the Juniors homepage
Home Page
Latest News
Search Articles
Audio Listing
Photo Galleries
News Feed ? | Subscribe to the ITF Tennis news feed
Jessica Moore (AUS)
Photographer: Corinne Dubreuil
Date: 25 Jan 2008
Bernard Tomic (AUS)
Photographer: Corinne Dubreuil
Date: 25 Jan 2008
Tsung-Hua Yang (TPE)
Photographer: Corinne Dubreuil
Date: 25 Jan 2008
Arantxa Rus (NED)
Photographer: Corinne Dubreuil
Date: 25 Jan 2008
Girls Doubles winners - Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Ksenia Lykina (RUS)
Photographer: Corinne Dubreuil
Date: 25 Jan 2008
Boys Doubles Winners Tsung Hua Yang and Cheng Peng Hsieh with Tennis Australia President Geoff Pollard
Photographer: Corinne Dubreuil
Date: 25 Jan 2008
Photographer: Corinne Dubreuil
Date: 25 Jan 2008
Photographer: Corinne Dubreuil
Date: 25 Jan 2008
Photographer: Corinne Dubreuil
Date: 25 Jan 2008
Photographer: Corinne Dubreuil
Date: 25 Jan 2008
Photographer: Corinne Dubreuil
Date: 25 Jan 2008
Photographer: Corinne Dubreuil
Date: 25 Jan 2008
Photographer: Corinne Dubreuil
Date: 25 Jan 2008
25 Jan 2008 - Melbourne Park - Eleanor PrestonAudio Interview  Related Audio
Moore and Tomic aim for Australia Day double
Audio Interview  An Interview with Cheng Peng Hsieh and Tsung-Hua Yang (MP3 format)

Audio Interview  An Interview with Tsung-Hua Yang (MP3 format)

Audio Interview  An Interview with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Ksenia Lykina (MP3 format)

Audio Interview  An Interview with Jessica Moore (MP3 format)

Audio Interview  An Interview with Aranxta Rus (MP3 format)

Audio Interview  An Interview with Bernard Tomic (MP3 format)

Free RealPlayer  Free Windows Media Player
If you cannot play the audio on your computer, then you can update your media player by following one of the links above.

Australians Bernard Tomic and Jessica Moore will take centre stage at Melbourne Park on Saturday, both hoping to mark Australia Day by scoring a double victory at their home junior grand slam.

Fifteen-year-old Tomic has the honour of walking onto the famous Rod Laver Arena to play Chinese Taipei’s Tsung-Hua Yang in the boys’ final, while Moore will take on the Netherlands' Aranxta Rus on the prestigious Margaret Court Arena. Both Australians have the chance of making history – Tomic will become the youngest boy ever to win a junior grand slam title if he beats Yang. Moore would be the first Australian girl to win since Siobahn Drake-Brockman took the girls’ title in 1995, which is also the last time Australia had a player in the girls’ final.

Tomic needed three sets to get past another fifteen-year-old, India’s Yuki Bhambri. Tomic eventually won their semifinal 60 57 61 but he admitted afterwards that his had been a patchy performance. “You know, I started playing good tennis, won the first set 6 Love. You know, something just happened. The heat got to me. I just like started playing bad and he picked up and I lost the momentum. He gained momentum. So it was tough. But I managed to concentrate in the third set. I was happy to win 61. It worked out well in the end,” said Tomic. “I know if I play really good tennis in the junior level, I can beat these guys, you know, clean them off the court. But I struggle now and then. I've got to learn and build my confidence. When I come into adulthood and play pros, I've got to be concentrated on those crucial moments.”

Tomic said he was looking forward to playing in front of what is likely to be a patriotic home crowd on the Australian Open’s main showcourt, where he will be trying to emulate compatriot Brydan Klein, who won the boys’ title for Australia last year. “I've worked hard for an achievement like this, if I win tomorrow,” he said. “But I'll go out there and try my best. And if I lose, I'll lose. But I'll know I've tried my best, I've played as best as I could. If the guy's too good, he's too good.”

Moore, 17, was understandably delighted to seal her place in her first junior grand slam final. “It would be awesome (to win),” said Moore, after beating Simona Halep of Romania 62 62 in the semifinals. “It would be something that I don't think happens very often. Having Brydan win last year is awesome. But having two would just be unbelievable. I’ve had just the best couple of weeks!”

Moore will face the Netherland's Arantxa Rus tomorrow in the final. The Dutch girl has made a great start to the year, winning the warm up event in Notting Hill last week and extending her winning streak to 11 matches with victory over China's Yi-Miao Zhou 60 64. Rus is understandably thrilled with her first visit to Australia:

"This is my first time here, I like it, I like the courts and I like the city. I am really happy to be in the final, it was a tough match today and she also played good. I wasn't nervous today, but maybe I will be more nervous tomorrow."

Yang has already earned himself one Australian Open junior title. He and his countryman Cheng-Peng Hsieh snatched the boys’ doubles title with a 36 75 10-5 victory over Vasek Pospisil of Canada and Mexico’s Cesar Ramirez, courtesy of a match tiebreaker. Russians Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Ksenia Lykina won the girls’ title thanks to a 60 64 win over Elena Bogdan of Romania and Misaki Doi of Japan.

While it was a debut junior grand slam victory for Lykina, the win means that Pavlyuchenkova has now won a staggering five junior grand slam doubles titles to add to the three she was won in singles. “It is always great to win, it doesn’t matter what it is,” said Pavlyuchenkova, who was very taken with the cuddly wombat both victors were given along with the trophy. “I think I will take him everywhere with me, maybe I’ll even take him on court with me,” she said, with a laugh. Her partner Lykina was less impressed. “I really wanted a kangaroo,” she confided. “But I don’t mind really because we won and that is so great. I can always buy a kangaroo but I can’t buy a title.”

Related Articles
> Rafyer Hails Atomic Tomic - Day 5 Australian Open
> Pavlyuchenkova takes home advantage - Day 4 Australian Open
> Easton Promise - Day 3 Australian Open
> More wins for Moore - Day 2 Australian Open
> Keeping up with the Joneses - Day 1 Australian Open
> Pavlyuchenkova favourite to retain Australia title



^ Back to Top
  What is RSS? RSS Feeds from the ITF Contact Us
© Copyright by ITF Licensing (UK) Ltd. All rights reserved. No portion of this website may be duplicated, redistributed, or manipulated in any form. By accessing any information beyond this page, you agree to abide by the itftennis.com Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.