World Junior Tennis Finals – Day 1
The boys have cause for day one celebrations, defeating the host nation, Czech Republic, 3-0.
Blake Mott (Thirroul, NSW) opened for Australia, posting a 6-1 6-3 win over David Poljak.
“I started off pretty good and got the first set 6-1,” Mott said. “Then I was getting a bit shaky in the second and I just wanted to get us up one-nil so then Thanasi could come on and have a good match, but I was just a bit nervous trying to finish off the second, but I got through in the end.”
Thanasi Kokkinakis (Seacombe Heights, SA) also fought day-one nerves at the start of his match, before finding his rhythm and winning 6-1 6-2 over Jaroslav Vondrasek.
Mott and Kokkinakis then teamed for a tense doubles match. “We were a bit sluggish at the start of the match, we were 5-2 down, but then we won it easily in the second, which was good,” Kokkinakis said
“The boys did really well,” team captain Brod Dyke said after the tie. “It’s not easy playing on this surface, and playing the host nation, Czech Republic, and this is one of their home training centres. So to beat them on their home training soil, it’s a great effort.”
Day two will see the boys up against South Africa, which today lost to No.5 seeds Chile 3-0.
Link to results updated daily http://www.itftennis.com/juniors/news/newsarticle.asp?articleid=21509
Group B:
CZE-AUS(4): 0-3 – Australia win
RSA-CHI(5): 0-3 – Chile win
Fourth seeds Australia defeated the host nation on the opening day, thanks to two victories from Thanasi Kokkinakis and Blake Mott in the singles rubbers. The victorious team’s no. 1 & 2 players then combined forces to also clinch the doubles against the Czech boys no.1 Jarolsav Vondrasek and no. 2 Zdenek Derkas.
Fifth seeds Chile registered a victory over South Africa, the only representative from the African continent at the 2010 Finals. Christian Garin defeated Trent Botha, 61 62, followed by a 64 62 victory for Bastian Malla, over the south African no.1 Lloyd Harris. Sebastian Santibanez then joined forces with Christian Garin to claim the doubles 62 62 over Trent Botha and Lloyd Harris.
