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You are in: News International Masters 2008
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| 20-10-2009 |
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NIKE JUNIOR TOUR INTERNATIONAL MASTERS: FINALS REVIEW |
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BENITO GIVES SPAIN ANOTHER BOYS UNDER-14 TITLE
Spain has yet another boys under-14 champion at the Nike Junior Tour International Masters. On Monday unseeded Carlos Benito defeated Israel’s Or Ram Harel 6-3 6-4 to win the 2009 title at Club Med Punta Cana.
However, the match was tougher than the scoreline might suggest. Ram Harel is strong, extremely fit and never gives up on a point. “He’s a fighter. He makes you play a lot,” said Benito. But in the end the Spaniard had too much firepower and he joins a long list of countryman, including Rafael Nadal, Roberto Bautista, Carlos Boluda and last year’s champion Carlos Bautista, to have won the boys under-14 title.
Benito dropped his serve in the third game of the match but then reeled off the next four games for a 5-2 lead. The Israeli held serve but Benito took the set in the next game when Ram Harel netted a backhand.
The Spaniard continued where he had left off with an immediate break of serve but he suddenly lost focus. “At start of the second set I got tired,” admitted Benito. He dropped his serve twice to give the Israeli a 4-2 lead but then he managed to regroup.
Ram Harel may have assisted him in that at 3-2 he called for the trainer. The five extra minutes allowed Benito time to cool off. “Having the trainer on court gave me a chance to rest,” said the youngster from Madrid.
Benito clearly did not fancy the idea of going to a third set for the first time in the tournament so he got his act together and went on to win the next four games. In fact, so dominant was he that the Israeli managed to win just five more points.
“I felt my game worked very well for me today. My forehand is my big shot and I was hitting it very cleanly,” said Benito. “I liked these courts. Anyway I prefer hard court to clay.”
Despite joining the name of Nadal on the Roll Of Honour for the Nike Junior Tour, Bonito admits to being a fan of his biggest competitor – Roger Federer.
PETERSON SURPRISES HERSELF TO WIN GIRLS UNDER-14 SECTION
If anybody had asked Rebecca Peterson of Sweden before the tournament whether she was likely to win, she would have given a firm “No”. But on Monday she took out top seed Darya Labasheva 6-4 6-7 (3-7) 6-4 at Club Med Punta Cana to become the first Swedish winner of a NJT International Masters title.
“My attitude was that I was going to do my best and see how far I could come,” said Peterson. “But I am very surprised to win it.”
Swedish coach Ulf Samuelsson added that as a group, they never spoke about winning something. “We focused on each match. We didn’t stress about winning. I think it was a good way to handle this tournament.”
Peterson felt her semifinal match against second seed Indy de Vroome of Holland was her most significant victory and gave her confidence for the final. “Going into the finals I thought I would try to do my best and to play my game. She has a big serve and a big forehand but today in some games she served big and in others she hit a lot of double faults.”
Halfway through the first set Peterson had the feeling she could take the match and at 5-4 in the second, the Swede had an opportunity to serve for the match. But she lost her serve to love, even sending down a double fault at 0-40. “I was so nervous. This was my first final in an international tournament and I got a little bit tight.”
The set went into a tie-break which Lebesheva took when Peterson netted a backhand. But this just pushed Peterson harder. “I was very tired but I was determined to take it. I said to myself, `she will never win against me’.”
They both held serve I the opening game of the decider but after that neither could hold. So at 5-4 Peterson served for the match for the second time and once again she lost it. But a game later, with the Belorussian on serve, it all came together. She got to her first match point when Lebesheva overcooked forehand and converted it when she watched the top seed send a backhand wide.
“I now have more confidence. I know I can win against top players and I know that my game works.”
Peterson will come back to the USA to play the Orange Bowl and Price Cup. “I hope this win will open a few doors for Rebecca to get some financial assistance to travel,” said Samuelsson. “I think Rebecca has the ability to quite far if she gets the support.”
KOZLOV COULD CHASE RECORD AFTER WINNING BOYS UNDER-12 TITLE
Stefan Kozlov is just 11-years-old and already has claimed hi fist NJT International Masters title by winning the boys under-12 event at Club Med Punta Cana on Monday. He still has a long way to go but the American is looking to beat the record of both Rafael Nadal and Carlos Boluda who both won this tournament three times.
He has a great start on both of them because he has the advantage of winning as a first-year under-12 player. The fourth seeded American put out fifth seed Andrey Kublev of Russia 6-2 6-1 in just one hour and two minutes.
Kozlov said after winning his semifinal match that he was going to keep the points short and that is what he managed to do. “I lost all the points when I kept the ball in play for a long time. What I did well was take lots of ball on the rise, and hit winners off his serves.
“I probably gave him two of three games he won because I missed returns.”
USA coach Phil Cello felt Kozlov had played his best match in the final. “His biggest strength is he can hit so many shots and he was able to use them all today. He put the final one into the formula, he showed he has a big forehand. He had the whole package today.
“I see him in the Nadal/ Boluda mode. Stefan just has every shot, and he can only get better. He’s been the best boys 12 player the USA has ever had at this tournament. It was exciting for me to see that final piece fall into place. I had never seen Stefan hit the big shots.”
Cello added that this was the first year the USA NJT National Masters was sanctioned by the USTA as a level 2 tournament. “Stefan had to win the Florida section and then win Stanford. At the Nike Junior Tour we’re doing what we want to help US tennis give young players the opportunity to come to a tournament like this. They have international tournaments for under-17 and under-18 but not for under-12 and under-14 players.”
For Kozlov this has been a great week. Not only has he won the tournament but he has made loads of friends.
As a 10-year-old last year Kozlov got to the final of the Eddie Herr tournament, losing to Hyeon Chung from Korea, who was the top seed in the boys under-14 draw. He will play the event again and hopes to go one better. Kozlov lives in Florida where his father runs a tennis academy.
"I play with Valeria Solovieva, who won US Open junior doubles title, every day,” he added proudly.
KOMARDINA REGROUPS TO CAPTURE GIRLS UNDER-12 CROWN
It is quite a while since the Russian team has come away with a NJT International Masters title but for coach Vladimir Dmitriev it felt like old times t Club Med Punta Cana on Monday. Eighth seed Anastasiya Komardina had to come back from a set down to beat Zainab El Houari of Morocco 4-6 6-2 6-2.
The Russian started slowly but said she felt a little tired. “We had to wait for courts to dry after the rain this morning in order for us to practice. So I practice and then I had to go straight onto court. When I lost the first set I thought I was going to lose.
"But in the second set I just kept the ball in play and she started making a lot of mistakes."
El Houari played superbly to reach the final, having not dropped a set, and she was hitting her cross-court forehand with such an acute angle and with such accuracy, that she looked to be heading for another victory.
But Komardina picked up on her winning shot and started to pepper the backhand a lot more. The tactic worked and the errors started to flow off the Moroccan’s racquet.
"I wasn’t strong mentally today. Normally I’m much better. But it is exciting to win. I hope to come back next year if I win the qualifying tournament in Moscow," said Komardina.
Dmitriev felt Komardina had become more focused in the second set. "She fixed her mind on her game. I was always confident she would turn it around.
"We had a good team this year but I thought she was our best hope. She’s got potential but it’s tough to tell with any under-12 player."
Komardina, who admires both Nadal and Ana Ivanovich, will play the Kremlin Cup in Moscow in December. |
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