 Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 13 Sep 2009 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 13 Sep 2009 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 13 Sep 2009 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 13 Sep 2009 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 13 Sep 2009 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 13 Sep 2009 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 13 Sep 2009 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 13 Sep 2009 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 13 Sep 2009 |
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| 13 Sep 2009 - Flushing Meadows, New York - Sandra Harwitt |  Related Audio |
| Tomic and Watson Claim US Open Junior Titles |
 Bernard Tomic interview - US Open final 2009 (MP3 format)
Heather Watson interview - US Open final 2009 (MP3 format)
Chase Buchanan interview - US Open final 2009 (MP3 format)
Valeria Solovieva & Maryna Zanevska (RUS) interview - US Open doubles champions 2009 (MP3 format)
 
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Third seed Bernard Tomic became the first Australian to win the US Open junior boys’ championships in 25 years when he charged past American wildcard Chase Buchanan 61 63 on Sunday afternoon.
The two previous Australians who won the US Open junior boys’ title since the event began in 1973 were Pat Cash in 1982 and Mark Kratzmann in 1984.
The 16-year-old Tomic is an old hand at winning Grand Slam junior titles as he won the boys’ trophy with the home court advantage at the 2008 Australian Open.
“After that first one, when I won in Aussie, I thought I was going to win the second one that year, but (it) didn’t happen,” Tomic said. “All this year I played the French and Wimbledon, and guys played well against me in those two Grand Slams. I said to myself, I come in this one and I’ve got to really focus to win it. If I do, (it’ll) probably be the last (junior tournament) I play.”
Tomic almost didn’t play the juniors here as he had his mind set on concentrating on the main draw qualifying event, but Todd Woodbridge, the newly named Australian Davis Cup coach, convinced the teen it would be smart to play the junior competition.
“For 16, his professionalism is outstanding,” said Woodbridge, who worked with Tomic throughout this week. “In terms of his game, I still think he can improve dramatically. What he does have is that through this tournament he didn’t play well at the beginning, but he finds a way to win.
“He may not have played here unless I said you needed to. He needed to play this to go on to play Challengers with confidence.”
Buchanan was unable to execute his game plan, in which he wanted to pin Tomic to a corner and then try to run him along the baseline. But that required Buchanan hitting the shots he wanted and that strategy did not work out.
“I definitely got a little flustered because I felt it was so within reach and I was so capable of doing it, but I was missing so much,” said Buchanan, who heads back to Ohio State University now that the US Open is over. “I don’t know what happened.”
The 18-year-old Buchanan admitted that Saturday’s schedule, where he beat top seed Yuki Bhambri of India 63 76(4) in the quarterfinals and eighth-seeded Gianni Mina of France 63 63 in the semifinals, might have worked against him in the final.
“I’m a little tired, more mentally,” Buchanan said. “Physically, well my body hurts, but everybody’s body hurts a little when they’re in the final of a tournament. Mentally, I think, yesterday took a lot out of me and I couldn’t focus in.”
In the junior girls’ championships, eleventh seed Heather Watson became the first British girl to win the US Open junior title when she captured a confident 64 61 win over unseeded Yana Buchina of Russia.
The 17-year-old Watson started slowly, falling behind as the Russian took a 3-1 lead in the opening set. But she evened the score at 3-all and from there seemed in control of the match.
Watson saved a break point at 30-40 when serving for the match at 5-1. Three points later she was celebrating her victory by smiling broadly, waving and doing a makeshift pirouette on the court.
“Well, actually when I won, I hadn’t realized I’d won,” Watson said. “I thought, ‘Oh, I won the match.’ And then I put my racket down, and it finally began to sink in. It feels great.”
Nick Bollettieri, who offered Watson a scholarship to his academy where she’s been training since she was 12, watched as his pupil worked her way into the match to win the title.
“I think she has good speed, she has excellent technique, good first serve, and she’s comfortable at the net,” Bolletieri said. “What she needs now is to just get the courage to hit and come to the net. She’s a hard worker, easy to teach and a really good personality.”
Watson was thrilled with her overall performance during a week where she just blossomed with every match played.
“Every match I’ve been getting better and better,” Watson said. “I beat the Wimbledon junior champion (Nappowas Lertcheewakarn) and the runner-up of Roland Garros (Daria Gavrilova) in my quarters and semis.”
Buchina felt that playing two three-set matches on Saturday prevented her from being able to play at her normal level against Watson.
“I just had cramps in my leg,” Buchina said. “It was really hard to move on the court. I was a little bit shocked because I’m so unlucky because I should’ve played two easy matches yesterday, but I played three sets. I feel so tired.”
The unseeded duo of Marton Fucsovics of Hungary and Cheng-Peng Hsieh of Chinese Taipei won the boys’ doubles title over the French duo of Julien Obry and Adrien Puget 76(5) 57 10-1.
The unseeded team of Valeria Solovieva of Russia and Maryna Zaneska of the Ukraine won the girls’ doubles trophy by posting a 16 63 10-7 victory over third seeds Elena Bogdan of Romania and Nappowan Lertcheewakarn of Thailand.
Related articles:
> American wildcard Chase Buchanan vying for US Open junior title
> Rain washes out junior quarterfinals at US Open
> Robson and Watson flying the Union Jack
> Collarini returns to his roots and Stephens powers through
> Former Wimbledon winners advance at US Open
> Top seeds have different luck in first round
> Babos taking inspiration from Babos success
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