Latest news with #juniorfinal
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
British junior, 16, reaches the French Open final for first time in 49 years after helping hand from Jack Draper
Hannah Klugman became the first British junior finalist at the French Open in almost 50 years - thanks, in part, to a lunch meeting with Jack Draper. The 16-year-old from Wimbledon beat Bulgaria's Rositsa Dencheva, her senior by two years, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 and will play in her first junior Grand Slam final on Saturday against Austrian Lilli Tagger. The last British junior to contest a singles final here was Michelle Tyler, who won the title in 1976. Klugman has long been marked for success, her name feted in British tennis circles since her pre-teen years. But last season was a struggle and her coach Ben Haran thought a chat with the British No1 might help. 'I struggled a bit,' said Klugman, the junior world No6, of her 2024 season, 'I was working so hard and I felt like I was getting better, but I wasn't seeing results. 'My coach knows Jack quite well so he set up a lunch for me. 'Jack opened my perspective that everyone is going through these troubles - you don't realize it, but they are. 'Taking a step back, taking your time and realizing it's OK. You're working hard and it will get there. 'His big thing is consistency: every day working hard with the right mentality and things will come, it's just a matter of time.' Things are coming now for Klugman, and it is a reward for some hard work learning to love the distinct challenges of clay court tennis. 'It's just a mentality thing. It's different. Every point is a grind, you've got to be ready for it and I think accepting that is the key. 'Me and my coach said let's do two months on clay, get my tennis better, my mentality better. 'I've improved massively by going on the clay. I think it's really helped me.' Klugman has long been marked for success, her name feted in British tennis circles for years Part of that clay court block was spent at Rafael Nadal's academy - where Klugman met the great man himself. She is one match away from joining the Spaniard as a Roland Garros champion. 'We had an absolutely tough match three weeks ago,' said Klugman of her opponent Tagger, who beat her in Terrassa, Catalonia. 'These moments don't happen a lot, so trying to enjoy it is a big part. 'My coach and physio are basically saying go out there and enjoy it, because you might never be in the spot again.'
The Independent
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Hannah Klugman ends 49-year wait for British junior French Open finalist
Hannah Klugman has become the first British player to reach the French Open juniors final in almost 50 years. The 16-year-old from Kingston-upon-Thames battled through to her maiden grand slam final after a gritty 1-6 6-3 6-3 win over Bulgarian Rositsa Dencheva. Klugman is the first Briton to achieve the feat since Michelle Tyler claimed the title in 1976, the same year Sue Barker won the women's event. "I'm just a bit shocked to be honest," she said. "I wasn't playing my best and I found it tough to get myself into the match. "I felt like as soon as I did that I was in a good space and I thought I could do well if I got into the match. "I think I've been mentally very good this week. I think I'm staying calm in big moments and also just trying to take it in. "These moments don't happen a lot, so trying to enjoy it is a big part. My coach and physio are basically saying 'go out there and enjoy it', because you never know if you'll be in the spot again." Klugman will face 17-year-old Austrian Lilli Tagger in Saturday's final. Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski are through to the final of the men's doubles. The British pair beat Americans Christian Harrison and Evan King 10-7 in a deciding-set tie-break. Neither Skupski or Salisbury, who linked up at the start of the season, had previously progressed beyond the men's quarter-finals. They will meet Marcel Granollers of Spain and Argentina's Horacio Zeballos in the final. PA
BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Klugman ends GB's long wait for Paris junior finalist
French Open 2025Dates: 25 May-8 June Venue: Roland GarrosCoverage: Live radio commentaries across 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, plus live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website and app Teenager Hannah Klugman underlined her potential by becoming the first British player in almost 50 years to reach a French Open junior singles 16-year-old fought back to win 1-6 6-3 6-3 against 18-year-old Bulgarian Rositsa Dencheva on the Roland Garros clay."I'm just a bit shocked, to be honest," Klugman said"I wasn't playing my best and I found it tough to get myself into the match."I felt like as soon as I did that I was in a good space and I thought I could do well if I got into the match."Klugman, who was born in London and raised in Wimbledon, will play Austria's Lilli Tagger on Saturday for the is aiming to emulate Britain's Michelle Tyler, who won the French Open girls title in 1976. It is a first Grand Slam girls singles final for the highly-rated Klugman, who already has some impressive results to her shot to wider prominence by winning prestigious Orange Bowl junior championships in Florida at the age of winners of the Orange Bowl include French Open finalist Coco Gauff, as well as Grand Slam champions Chris Evert, Caroline Wozniacki and Bianca has also contested two Grand Slam girls' doubles finals, losing the 2023 Wimbledon and this year's Australian Open trophy matches."I think I've been mentally very good this week. I think I'm staying calm in big moments, and also just trying to take it in," Klugman added."These moments don't happen a lot, so trying to enjoy it is a big part."My coach and physio are basically saying go out there and enjoy it, because you might never be in the spot again."
