 Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 04 Sep 2008 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 01 Sep 2008 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 07 Sep 2008 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 04 Sep 2008 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 04 Sep 2008 | |
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| 07 Sep 2008 - New York - Eleanor Preston | |
| Vandeweghe and Britton keep up home run |
Coco Vandeweghe and Devin Britton will be hoping to make it and American clean sweep in the US Open junior finals after both earned semi-final wins on a rainy Saturday in New York.
Vandeweghe will take on Gabriela Paz Franco of Venezuela in the girls’ final on Sunday, while Britton will have to get past reigning junior Wimbledon champion Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria to win what would be his first boys’ US Open title.
All the semi-finalists faced a test of concentration on Saturday when a miserable weather forecast meant all matches were moved to an indoor tennis centre away from Flushing Meadows. Vandeweghe took the change in her stride, beating Kristina Mladenovic 6-2, 7-6. “I’m pretty relaxed. When I was younger I would get a bit angry, I broke a couple of rackets, now I only break rackets when the racket slips of my hand when I serve and my hand gets slippy,” she said. “I try to be pretty calm and relaxed on court because you know, why waste energy on anger. You’ve got to play calm, if she is playing too good for you on a couple of points, you’ve got to keep calm. There’s nothing I can do when she gets a winner, but I just have to try to win the next point, keep calm and stay consistent.”
Paz Franco’s journey to the final marks an impressive debut for the 16-year-old Venezuelan, who had never played a junior Grand Slam tournament before. Saturday saw her beat one of the tournament favourites, American Melanie Oudin, 6-4, 6-4. “It feels great, like everything kind of came so fast,” said Paz Franco. “I’m in the finals I’ve won five matches. I’ve just been playing my game, point by point, game by game and now I’m in the finals it feels great. This is an amazing tournament, an amazing experience. I’m so happy that I’m playing really good.”
Britton, who came through qualifying to play the Junior US Open, was too strong for Filip Krajinovic of Serbia, beating him 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the speedy indoor conditions. “It’s not likely at all like I’d be here but the confidence is there now,” said the American. Dimitrov will be a tough test for Britton though, especially after coming through Saturday’s 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 semi-final win over top seed Tsung-Hua Yang of Tapei. The Bulgarian said he was not planning to take Britton lightly. “He’s a good player, solid so I will just have to focus on my own game. I won’t be overconfident because I know he is a good player,” said Dimitrov.
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