Hannah Klugman, 16, sealed the biggest win of her fledgling career as she surged into the French Open girls’ singles final at Roland-Garros on Friday.
Klugman became the first British player this century to reach a girls’ final in Paris as the Wimbledon resident defeated Rositsa Dencheva 1-6, 6-3, 6-3.
She will take on 17-year-old Austrian Lilli Tagger in the final on Saturday with history on the line.
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At the age of 14 Klugman made it through to the US Open girls’ quarter-finals and she spoke to the Sky Sports Tennis team at Flushing Meadows…
“I’m just a bit shocked, to be honest,” said Klugman, who is aiming to emulate Britain’s Michelle Tyler, who won the French Open girls’ title in 1976, the same year Sue Barker won the women’s event.
“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.”
She added: “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.”
Last June, Klugman made headlines by winning two matches at Wimbledon women’s qualifying.
She has been working alongside long-standing coach Ben Haran, as well renowned strength and conditioning coach Jez Green and physio Will Herbert.
Klugman appears to be benefitting from her time practising at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca this March where she received words of encouragement from the ‘King of Clay’.
“I had three days there, which was amazing, I’m so grateful they gave me that opportunity at Rafa’s. I love Rafa,” Klugman said.
“He said to me, once you have the level, things will come, so trust the hard work, the process. If you’re not having results right now, you have to keep believing.”
British duo make men’s doubles 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 on Saturday.
Hewett into men’s wheelchair singles final
Alfie Hewett reached the final of the men’s wheelchair singles after beating Argentinian fourth seed Gustavo Fernandez in three sets.
Hewett, the second seed and three-time winner, will take on top-ranked Japanese star Tokito Oda in the final.
A delighted Hewett said: “I think the strongest bit of what I did today was my mentality, because when momentum’s with him it’s very difficult to disturb his rhythm. I was 5-3 down in the third and, for me, the game at 5-4 was crucial, but I didn’t imagine it would go all the way down to 12-10 in a third set breaker.
“I’m just happy that I didn’t bottle it. It means everything to me, to be honest, as I had flashbacks (of last year’s semi-final) popping into my head towards the end of the third set and I didn’t want history to repeat itself.”
Hewett will also go for a seventh title with fellow Brit Gordon Reid in the doubles final, against Oda and 54-year-old Frenchman Stephane Houdet.
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