05/06/2010 22:41 CEST - ROLAND GARROS JUNIOR
Tomorrow’s Stars
While many only have eyes for singles play, much more can be learned about a player’s potential by their doubles success, particularly on the junior level. Mark Winters
Having been a US Boys’ National Team coach, almost longer ago then I care to remember, I always enjoy watching the finals of a Grand Slam junior event. They provide a preview of “Tomorrow’s stars”. Today, the Double Juniors Filles final was played on Court 2 at Stade Roland Garros, followed by the Double Junior Garcons title match. While many only have eyes for singles play, much more can be learned about a player’s potential by their doubles success, particularly on the junior level.
Timea Babos of Hungary and Sloane Stephens of the US defeated Spaniards, Lara Arrubarrena-Vecino and Maria-Teresa Torro-Floro (the only player in the junior game with two hyphens in her name), 6-2, 6-3 for the Filles title. Duilio Beretta of Peru teamed with Roberto Quiroz of Ecuador to score an almost identical victory; in this case it was 6-3, 6-2, over the Argentine tandem of Facundo Arguello and Agustin Velotti. (Velotti faces the new American, Andrea Collarini, in the Simple Junior Garcons singles final tomorrow.)
Reading through the list of previous Roland Garros junior doubles winners, it’s surprising that the countries represented in the winner’s circle on Saturday have had so few players reach the same position. With the Filles, Beth Herr and Janet Lagasse of the US triumphed in 1982, the second year the Double was played. Fourteen years later, countrywoman, Corina Morariu, captured the title with Ludmila Varmuzova of the Czech Republic. Agnes Szavay was the first and only Hungarian girl to accept the trophy, prior to Babos, but that didn’t happen until 2005 when she teamed with Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.
On the Garcons side, Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador and Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil, (who went on to become a three-time Simple Messieurs winner), were the 1994 champions. Luis Horna became the first Peruvian winner when he and Jose de Armas of Venezuela were the best in Paris in 1997. That’s it.
Not only were the final scores similar, so were the statistics. Babos/Stephens, who are both 17-years old, won a total of 53 points, and Beretta/Quiroz, 18-year-olds, collected 55. The girls were 5 of 13 on break point conversions, and the boys 5 of 10.
Following such a significant victory, the performers literally gushed. Babos and Stephens entertained the press corps with a collection of delightful comments and tales. As they explained, their partnership came about thanks to Facebook. “I gave up Facebook (and Twitter) for Lent so I didn’t see her message,” Stephens said with a laugh. “When I finally saw it, I thought ‘Oh, my God, she will not want to play with me because I haven’t responded’. My mom got in touch with her.
“It’s the first time we have played together and I thought we did pretty well, we clicked.”
They first met when the US played Hungary in the Junior Federation Cup competition. “Timea was so tall, she was two times the size of the players on the US team,” Stephens said. “We thought we’d get killed.” As it turned out, the US proved to be better.
“It’s easy for us to play together, we are friends and we help each other,” Babos said. Stephens added, “I had almost given up on doubles. Every time I find a partner, she gets hurt – breaks an ankle, or something happens.”
Babos admitted, “We are good friends and I really like doubles. In singles, anything can happen that’s why I prefer doubles.”
Because players at this level regularly compete on the International Tennis Federation circuit, as well as playing the junior Grand Slam tournaments, it’s difficult for a team to remain together. Babos and Stephens plan to be an exception. “We are planning to play Wimby (as Babos calls it) and the US Open,” the winner’s chorused in unison.
It will be interesting to watch and see if, indeed, Timea Babos and Sloane Stephens, along with Duilio Beretta and Roberto Quiroz do move on to become tomorrow’s stars.
Mark Winters
"The majority of the matches I win aren't pretty. But I've made a career out of that."
Andy Roddick on his 1st round victory over finnish Nieminen.
June the 6th, 1989
Seventeen-year-old Michael Chang overcomes a two-sets-to-love deficit, muscle cramps and the world’s No.1 player in upsetting Ivan Lendl 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 in 4 hours, 39 minutes to advance into the quartefinals of the French Open.
From "On this day in Tennis History" by Randy Walker
