 Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 06 Jun 2008 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 06 Jun 2008 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 06 Jun 2008 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 06 Jun 2008 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 06 Jun 2008 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 06 Jun 2008 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 06 Jun 2008 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 06 Jun 2008 |
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| 06 Jun 2008 - Roland Garros, Paris - Eleanor Preston |  Related Audio |
| Halep and Bogdan set to make history in Paris |
 An Interview with Junior Roland Garros finalist Tsung-Hua Yang (MP3 format)
An Interview with Junior Roland Garros finalist Jerzy Janowicz (MP3 format)
An interview with Junior Roland Garros Elena Bogdan finalist (MP3 format)
Cindy Chala interviews Andrew Thomas for her audio blog (MP3 format)
 
If you cannot play the audio on your computer, then you can update your media player by following one of the links above.
Simona Halep and Elena Bogdan will make history at Roland Garros on Sunday when they play the first all-Romanian Junior Grand Slam final. Whoever wins will become the second Romanian to win the girls’ title in Paris and follow in the footsteps of previous Romanian champions Andre Pavel, who won the boys’ title in 1992, and 1974 girls’ champion Marina Simionescu but this will be the first time since ITF Junior grand slams began that two players from Romania have played for such a prestigious junior title.
Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz and Chinese Tapei’s Tsung-Hua Yang will meet in the boys’ final, when each will be bidding for their first Junior Grand Slam title.
“It means very much to me to be in the final,” said Bogdan. “I’ve never been in a final like this and also playing against another Romanian, a friend of mine means it’s going to be a very big match. It never happened before and it’s great.” Bogdan beat Lenka Jurikova of Slovakia 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 to earn her shot at the title and afterwards she admitted that the occasion had very nearly got to her in the semi-finals. “Today I was a little bit nervous. I don’t know why, but I was like dizzy because I was so nervous and I called the doctor. He gave me a pill but I think I was just a bit too nervous. It was good that I won.” When asked how she got past her bout of stage fright, Bogdan laughed and said: “I didn’t! I just fought and I tried to play my game and that’s how I got through. I’m a little bit tired after this match but I will recover.”
Bogdan and Halep are on good terms away from the court and once shared a coach, so there should be no surprises when they face each other on Sunday. “We are friends, we know each other very well,” said Bogdan. “I don’t think it makes it harder that she is a friend, I think it will be the same. It will be good that I know her game and that might make it easier but then she also knows how I play so we will see.” Bogdan also knows that she will have her work cut out against Halep, who has been enjoying a rich vein of form since the European clay-court season began and has won her last 11 matches, including a tournament victory in the Grade A Trofeo Bonfiglio in Milan.
Janowicz will be playing his second Junior Grand Slam final on Sunday and was runner-up to ITF Junior World Champion Ricardas Berankis at last year’s Junior US Open. He believes that going through a Junior Grand Slam before will help him when he takes on Yang. “I have experience,” said Janowicz. “I know what I can expect. I have played this guy before – I lost with him – and I know what to do with him. It’s top secret though!”
Janowicz, whose game revolves around his mammoth serve and powerful ground-strokes, prefers faster surfaces and admits that his arrival in the Roland Garros final – including his impressive 6-4, 6-4 semi-final win over Argentina’s Guido Pella – has come as a pleasant surprise. “I am surprised but I am very happy to be in the final. It’s the second time that I was in the final and I think that I can be the winner. It’s the same as in the USA. It’s a grand slam, it’s a very, very serious tournament and it’s great to be in the final. It’s amazing.”
Yang beat second seeded Mexican Cesar Ramirez 7-5, 6-4 in the other boys’ semi-final to set up Sunday’s meeting with Janowicz.
Saturday’s doubles finals will see Henri Kontinen of Finland and Christopher Runkat of Indonesia play Jaan-Frederik Brunken of Germany and Australian Matt Reid for the boys’ trophy. Polona Hercoq of Slovenia and Australian Jessica Moore will take on the Dutch pair of Arantxa Rus and Lesley Kerkhove for the girls’ title.
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