 Photographer: Corinne Dubreuil
Date: 30 Jan 2009 |  Photographer: Corinne Dubreuil
Date: 30 Jan 2009 |  Photographer: Corinne Dubreuil
Date: 30 Jan 2009 |  Photographer: Corinne Dubreuil
Date: 30 Jan 2009 |  Photographer: Corinne Dubreuil
Date: 29 Jan 2009 |  Photographer: Corinne Dubreuil
Date: 29 Jan 2009 |  Photographer: Corinne Dubreuil
Date: 29 Jan 2009 |  Photographer: Corinne Dubreuil
Date: 27 Jan 2009 |
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| 30 Jan 2009 - Melbourne, Australia - Eleanor Preston | |
| Freddie flies into final |
Alexandros-Fernandos Georgoudas of Germany has one of the longest names in junior tennis but he is fast becoming a big name as well as having one. Georgoudas, who has come unseeded through the Australian Open draw, hit his way into his first junior grand slam final by beating second seed Julen Uriguen of Guatamala 64 64 in Friday’s boys’ semifinals. Georgoudas will take on top seed Yuki Bhambri for the title after the Indian eased past Adrien Puget of France 64 64.
Reigning junior Wimbledon champion Laura Robson will take on Ksenia Pervak of Russia in the girls’ final after both scored wins on a steamy day at Melbourne Park. Robson made it a brace of big match wins over Noppawan Lertcheewakarn of Thailand – the opponent she beat to win Wimbledon – by beating the top seed 64 63. Pervak, seeded three to Robson’s five, beat Ana Bogdan of Romania 61 63.
All the singles semifinals were delayed as blisteringly hot conditions continued in Melbourne. Georgoudas, known as Freddie to his friends, seemed to relish the fierce temperatures though and afterwards revealed his secret weapon – three weeks of pre-season training in warm and humid Thailand.
“I didn’t expect this as first but I played well and now I’m here and I’m happy,” said Georgoudas. “I went to Thailand in December for three weeks with my coach and some other players and it was really good training. It was a little bit cooler than here but it was perfect preparation for here and the hot weather. It’s something special and the winner gets a wildcard into the Australian Open next year, which is very, very important. I will be very, very happy if I can achieve that.”
Robson admitted to feeling fatigued against Lertcheewakarn but promised to rally for the final. “I just did my best today, and that was good enough,” said the fifteen-year-old Briton. “I didn't start so well. I felt really out of energy throughout the whole match really, so it was good to get through it.” Like all the juniors, Robson has endured her fair share of waiting around for the temperature to fall to make matches playable during this hottest of weeks. Conditions have been challenging for all concerned, though Robson acknowledged that it was all part of the Australian Open experience. “I probably won't get another week like this for a while in terms of weather,” she said. “It’s been hard dealing with it. But I got through it, so that's good.”
Robson boasts an enviable junior grand slam record. This is her first junior grand slam appearance since Wimbledon and so she has never lost a junior grand slam match. She has relished her week in Melbourne, however gruelling it has been, and is delighted to, so far, have lived up to her pre-tournament billing as one of the favourites for the title. “I think at Wimbledon I was kind of like the underdog, and then no one expected me to even do well. So it's nice to get to the final here,” she said.
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