Guy McCrea has Friday's Wimbledon juniors semifinal results for us early this evening, so we're ready for the girls singles championship Saturday as well as the doubles semifinals:
(NOTE: Quicktime, a media player available via a Free Download, is required to hear the audio clips.)
Friday was semi-finals day in the Junior Wimbledon singles events. Let’s start with the girls’ tourney, where Laura Robson became the first Brit in 24 years to reach the final of this event. The fourteen year old continued her excellent form of this week to beat Romana Tabakova 6-2, 7-5. Robson was roared on by a partisan crowd packed into court 3, and she did not disappoint them with a terrific display of clean hitting to easily win the opener. The Slovakian then overcame her apparent nerves to snare an immediate break of serve in the second set. But Robson soon got back on level terms and withstood everything Tabakova could throw at her – including an underarm service ace (!) – to break again in the final game of the match. The Brit is now just one win away from becoming the first home winner of this event since Annabel Croft in 1984.
FOR ROBSON AUDIO CLICK HERE
So Robson is through to Saturday’s final which will take place on Wimbledon’s world-famous Number One court. Her opponent for that prestigious title match will be Noppaween Lertcheewakarn, after the third seed won through against Tammy Hendler on court 18. Your correspondent had fancied the Belgian to go on and win this event after her previous wins over Jessica Moore and Aranxta Rus – but she came unstuck here against the more consistent and streetwise approach of Lertcheewakarn. The young Thai was victorious in straight sets 7-6(2), 6-3, as she emulated countrywoman Tamarine Tanasugarn’s girls’ singles final appearance of 13 years ago.
FOR LERTCHEEWAKARN AUDIO CLICK HERE
In the boys’ singles, the final line-up has an unexpected but totally deserved look to it. That is because Bernard Tomic, the top seed and huge favourite for the title, went out of the event at the semi-final stage. The Australian has not been able to produce his best tennis often enough in South-West London this week, and was finally punished for that as Henri Kontinen beat him in straight sets on court 14. The Finn was not a household name among those watching in the Press Centre Restaurant (which overlooks court 14), but he will be now after a brilliant display of serve and volley tennis. Tomic was never allowed to get his return game going, and was too passive on his own service as Kontinen won by a 7-6(3), 6-4 scoreline.
FOR KONTINEN AUDIO CLICK HERE
Kontinen withdrew from the boys’ doubles along with his partner Grigor Dimitrov, after the Bulgarian also reached the singles final. He did not serve as well as previously, but still produced the better tennis off the ground to beat Filip Krajinovic 6-3, 6-3 on court 11. Dimitrov was troubled by a shoulder problem during the match, and it will be interesting to see if that injury has any impact on his chances in Sunday’s final.
FOR DIMITROV AUDIO CLICK HERE
Time for some news from the doubles events. In the girls’ doubles, British fans had more reason to celebrate after the pairing of Jocelyn Rae and Jade Curtis reached the semi-finals. Much hyped within British tennis circles a few years ago, Curtis has struggled to make an impact in the singles game – perhaps due mainly to her diminutive 5'4'' stature – but she increasingly appears to have all the makings of a formidable doubles specialist. The British pair beat the fifth seeds Lesley Kerkhove and Arantxa Rus 6-4, 7-6(2), and will now play the sixth seeded pairing of Polona Hercog and Jessica Moore in the last four.
Meanwhile, American interest in Junior Wimbledon ended for this year as the second seeds Ryan Harrison and Bradley Klahn bowed out of the boys’ doubles 6-1, 7-5 on court 11 to Mirza Basic and Di Wu.
For full results from the other doubles quarter finals, please visit www.wimbledon.org.
Radio Wimbledon will also provide live ball-by-ball commentary of Saturday’s girls singles final:
Radio Wimbledon.
Play on Number One Court starts at 2pm British time, with the girls’ final scheduled as the second match on the order of play.
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