Pavlyuchenkova Leaves Australia Undefeated as Junior Open Girls Champion

Pavlyuchenkova Leaves Australia Undefeated as Junior Open Girls Champion ~~~

Fourteen-year-old Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia completed a perfect trip to Australia, beating top seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 to win her first junior Grand Slam title.

Sweeping through Australia like the bush fires outside Melbourne, Pavlyuchenkova won three straight tournaments on the ITF’s Australian Summer Circuit, a hot streak even she thought impossible.

“I had so many matches,” said the native of the Russian city of Samara, who also won the doubles championship with partner Sharon Fichman of Canada Saturday evening. “I thought ‘I can’t win this tournament, it’s too difficult for me.’ But I did it and I am so happy.”

The eighth-seeded Pavlyuchenkova, who trains in both Russia and the Czech Republic, started slowly in the match, and was down a break at 1-0 in the second set when she asked for the trainer.

“I was sick a little bit in the first set, and I was dizzy, shaking,” she said. “I just took a little bit of rest.”

Wozniacki was expecting her opponent’s request for treatment.

“She’s done that all tournament and I knew it would come when I won the first set,” said Wozniacki. “I was just stupid that I wasn’t really ready for it, and when we came out on the court again, I was more defensive.”

When Pavlyuchenkova won the second set, Wozniacki requested the optional ten-minute heat break, but Pavlyuchenkova didn’t leave the court.

Her right leg heavily taped for an injury sustained weeks ago, Pavlyuchenkova spent the last few minutes of the break bouncing along on the baseline, determined to keep her concentration and momentum.

“When I take a break and get off the court, it’s not good for me. I knew myself and if I do that I will relax. So I tried to keep energy and keep concentrating.”

It worked for Pavlyuchenkova, as she won the first two games of the final set, and although Wozniacki fought back to even it at 2, the serve and the consistency of the young Russian wore her down.

Wozniacki, ranked fourth in the world in the ITF junior rankings, expressed admiration for the tennis Pavlyuchenkova has played in her three weeks in Australia.

“I don’t know how she does it. Three tournaments in a row--it’s impressive, I must say that,” said Wozniacki, 15.

“When I’m playing in a tournament, afterwards I am so tired I cannot play the second one.”

Pavlyuchenkova is as amazed as everyone else at her dominance in Australia.

“It’s too difficult to win every match, because you can beat the best and you can lose to anyone,” she said. “I don’t even feel that I won a Grand Slam because I don’t understand what I did. It’s amazing.”