Australia and USA take World Junior Tennis titles
 The
Australian boys’ team and USA girls’ team triumphed
in Saturday’s finals of the World Junior Tennis Finals,
the ITF’s 14 & under international team competition,
in Prostejov, Czech Republic.
Second-seeded Australia defeated host nation Czech Republic
2-0 to lift the boys’ trophy, while top seed USA beat
No. 2 seed France 2-1 in the girls’ final. This is the
first time that Australia has won a World Junior Tennis title,
while USA last won the girls’ event 15 years ago in
1992.
The Australian boys’ team of Jason Kubler, Joey Swaysland
and Ben Wagland, led by captain Derek Burden, had to withstand
a large partisan home crowd on finals day as it faced fifth
seeded Czech Republic. However victories for Swaysland over
Robert Rumler 57 62 61 and Kubler over Lukas Vrnak 64 63 in
the two singles matches gave the team an unassailable 2-0
lead.
Australia had dominated its round-robin group, dropping only
one rubber, and then defeated Russia in the semifinals in
the decisive doubles. The Czech team overcame fourth seed
Slovak Republic in the group stage and then upset top seed
USA in the semifinals. In the third place play-off, USA defeated
Russia 2-0 to finish as bronze medallists.
In the girls’ final, the Americans made the better
start when Sloane Stevens defeated Amandine Hesse 64 63. France’s
Kristina Mladenovic, the outstanding singles player of the
week, then overcame Stephanie Vidov 62 62 to take the tie
into a deciding rubber. In a fluctuating doubles involving
the same players, USA fought off a second set fightback by
France to win 60 46 63 to the delight of the US supporters.
USA dominated its round-robin group before coming through
a difficult semifinal 2-1 against fourth seed Slovak Republic.
France narrowly won its group, losing to Japan and only going
through because of the higher number of rubbers won. The French
girls then overwhelmed Russia in the semifinals. In the third-place
play off, Slovak Republic claimed the bronze medal position
with a 2-1 victory over Russia. For further information, visit
www.itftennis.com/juniors.
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