Issue link: http://itf.uberflip.com/i/366594
ITFWORLD SUMMER 2014 23 www.itftennis.com I n many ways the world of junior tennis is designed to mimic the pro tour, a strategy that offers a picture postcard view of what the future could hold for these young talents. So just like the top pro players in the game, in summer the top juniors ready themselves to play at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. The teens don't arrive on the scene until the second week at the majors, but they play on the same courts and experience the same atmosphere of being at two of the four greatest tournaments in tennis. As soon as anyone enters the Roland Garros grounds it's immediately evident they've arrived at the grandest of venues for clay court tennis. The burnt orange crushed clay makes for artistic matches that also demand cunning strategic planning. This year's Roland Garros junior competition concluded as a flag-waving advertisement for Russia. Fourth seed Andrey Rublev defeated seventh seed Jaume Munar of Spain 62 75, and eighth seed Darya Kasatkina upset top seed Ivana Jorovic of Serbia 67 62 63, allowing both teens to claim their first Grand Slam singles titles. Rublev, the son of a former professional boxer who now makes a living owning a number of popular eateries in Moscow, became the first Russian boy in 48 years to win at Roland Garros. Practically the minute that Rublev secured his final berth, Rublev's family and friends started to journey to Paris, clearly anticipating a winning kind of day for the 16-year-old. "It feels great," said Rublev after the victory. "I was like preparing for this tournament for a long time. I won it, so it feels great… This means I have to work hard to keep going, work hard to be in the top." The road to victory was demanding for Rublev, who had to upend his doubles partner, sixth seed Stefan Kozlov of USA, 75 36 64 in the quarterfinals and second seed Orlando Luz of Brazil 75 63 in the semifinals, before closing down Munar's chances in the final. For Rublev, the post-celebration party was a Chinese restaurant dinner in Paris, followed by a return home to Moscow. Once back at home Rublev got down to the business of practise and preparation for Wimbledon where as the top seed he was turned back by unseeded Dutchman Tim van Rijthoven 76 46 75 in the third round. It was a very different story for Kasatkina, who grabbed what would be her only Grand Slam junior singles title in her final junior tournament. The 17-year- old, who played only one other seeded player en route to the Roland Garros title — upending 16th seed Iryna Shymanovich of Belarus 67 60 64 in the quarterfinals — was moving out of the junior world and into ITF Pro Circuit events. Throughout the week, Kasatkina talked about feeling nervous. She had put pressure on herself to succeed if she was ever going to be a Grand Slam junior champion. After losing the opening set of the final in a tiebreaker Kasatkina settled down just in time. "When I lost the set, I said for myself, 'Darya, what are you doing?" she said. "It's one of the best days in my life, I think. I will remember it all of my life. I'm very happy today." In the Roland Garros boys' doubles, it was a home victory for French competitors Benjamin Bonzi and Quentin Halys, who took out Lucas Miedler of Austria and Akira Santillan of Australia 63 63. And in the girls' doubles, the unseeded Romanian duo of Ioana Ducu and Ioana Loredana Rosca outwitted seventh seeds Catherine Cartan Bellis of USA and Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic 61 57 [11-9]. Duca had travelled to the tournament as a member of this year's International 18-and-under ITF/Grand Slam Development Fund Team to Europe. ITFWORLD SUMMER 2014 23 Jaume Munar lost out on becoming the first Spanish Roland Garros boys' champion since 2001 Romania's Ioana Loredana Rosca and Ioana Duca won the girls' doubles B enjamin B onzi and Quentin Halys were home boys' doubles champions Top seed Ivana Jorovic lost a three-set final