Renáta Jamrichová cecures victory in Junior Girls' Doubles at Australian Open. (source: Louise Delmotte)
Slovak tennis player Renáta Jamrichová triumphed in the junior girls' doubles at the Grand Slam Australian Open.
In the tournament's top-seeded position, she won the final against the sixth-seeded local player, Emerson Jones, with a score of 6:4, 6:1, the Slovak press agency TASR reported. In the first set, she came back from a 1:4 deficit.
Jamrichová secured her second title in a Grand Slam junior event, having won the junior doubles in Melbourne last year alongside the Italian Federica Urgesio.
Under the guidance of coach Ján Matúš, she became the third Slovak tennis player to claim victory in the Grand Slam junior singles in the era of independence. In the Rod Laver Arena, she followed in the footsteps of Tereza Mihalíková, who won the Australian Open in 2015. Kristína Kučová remained unbeaten in the 2007 US Open, and Martin Kližan lifted the valuable trophy at Roland Garros in June 2006.
Challenges on the journey to victory
Jamrichová faced a challenging start to the final match, losing her serve in the second game, allowing Jones to take a 3:0 lead. At 4:1, the Australian had another opportunity to break her opponent's serve, but Jamrichová held on, boosting her confidence. She won five consecutive games and claimed the first set. The second set was a clear affair for the talented 16-year-old Slovak, who established a decisive lead of 4:0 with two breaks.
"I'm very happy. I showcased my best tennis throughout the week. I started the final nervously, due to playing against a local player in the Rod Laver Arena. However, I told myself that I had to enjoy every moment on the court. From that point on, I played excellently and ended up with an overall triumph," Jamrichová stated on the tournament's official website.
The Slovak player admitted that Swiss player Roger Federer was a significant inspiration in her childhood. Federer, a six-time champion in the men's singles at the Australian Open, served as a role model for Jamrichová.
"Roger was a great inspiration for me. I would like to play at the same level someday. It's challenging to achieve what he has accomplished, but at least I played today on the court where he achieved his greatest successes."
