New Swiss Miss Captures Junior Crown

Posted: Jan 01, 1970

PARIS, France – 16-year-old Rebeka Masarova became the latest Swiss standout on Sunday, upsetting No.2 seed Amanda Anisimova, 7-5, 7-5, to win her first junior Grand Slam title at the French Open.

Anisimova is just 14 years old and made her first splash on the junior circuit last fall, when she made the semifinals of the Eddie Herr International Tennis Championships, but Masarova is coming off of a run to the semifinals of the Australian Open back in January, and emerged victorious from a 48 minute opening set in which she twice trailed by a break of serve.

Masarova edged ahead 5-2 in the second, but the young American broke back as the No.12 seed served for the match, leveling the contest at five games apiece. Undaunted, the Swiss youngster broke back once more to clinch the biggest title of her young career.

“I was really nervous in the beginning,” she said in her post-match press conference. “Then at the end I was 5-2 up in the second set and my opponent also was playing very good. I did some mistakes, and I went 5-5; she went to 5-5.

“I was really nervous. I knew I had to do break. But I held my serve and then I broke her in the end.”

Winning the junior French Open has proved to be quite auspicious as nearly every winner – including fellow Swiss stars Martina Hingis and Belinda Bencic – has gone on to transition into a successful career on the WTA tour.

“It sounds crazy to say I’m a Grand Slam champion; I’m so happy I won this slam. And, I don’t know, I still have to like realize it.

“My goal was to reach the Top 3 [on the ITF junior rankings]. I think I did it with this tournament. I will try to reach No.1 in juniors. I will play some pros and I will prepare for Wimbledon, as well.”

Watching from afar was Bencic herself; the 2013 girl’s singles champion and the youngest Top 10 debutante since Caroline Wozniacki is making her return at the Ricoh Open from a back injury that kept her out of the French Open, and tweeted out a congratulatory message to her young compatriot.