Berkieta and Bigun go the distance to reach Roland Garros boys' final
After whipping a half-volley to save match point in a gripping Roland Garros boys’ semi-final, Poland’s Tomasz Berkieta raised his hands and urged the crowd to support him.
In a clash of contrasting styles against Italian Lorenzo Carboni, the powerful Berkieta seemed to have victory within reach several times, only for his rival to wrestle back control.
But Berkieta found a way in a deciding super-tiebreaker to become the first Polish boy to reach the Roland Garros final since Jerzy Janowicz in 2008 with a 7-6 (3) 4-6 7-6 (4) victory.
Berkieta, who earlier this week revealed he can hold his breath for up to 4.5 minutes while diving, required some deep breaths to recover between points in the 2hr 47min thriller.
“Lorenzo is the worst type of player for me because he is the best type of player on clay courts,” Berkieta said.
“He’s not very tall but his serve is dangerous and so is his game. He slides a lot. He runs a lot, so there is no easy answer against him out there. It is a constant fight.
“It is a big thing for me to make the final, especially here. Last year I was in the semis of Australia and the quarters at Wimbledon, but it always seemed like something was missing from my game.
“This time around, I have been able to maintain focus throughout the whole week. But there is still one match to go.”
View this post on Instagram
His reward is a final on Saturday against American Kaylan Bigun, who seized victory 2-6 6-3 6-4 with a smash on his third match point against Austrian No.2 seed Joel Schwaerzler.
In a battle between left-handers, the recent ATP Challenger Tour champion Schwaerzler began superbly against the Los Angeles-based American.
But Bigun, 18, has been in phenomenal form on clay after winning the J500 in Milan prior to Roland Garros and was able to seize the momentum early in the second set on Court 14.
It was a high-class clash, with the strong serving Schwaerzler and his American rival engaging in some rallies of exceptional quality, but ultimately Bigun proved superior.
The No.5 seed, who honed his clay court craft training at the USTA base in Orlando, texted congratulations to Schwaerzler after his recent triumph but was determined to win on Friday.
“I was actually following his results through the Challenger and I have made pretty good friends with him,” Bigun said.
“I texted him and I said, ‘Dude. Congrats. But I hope you don’t play the French Open'.But today, we were so many matches into the tournament that the key was seeing who could be more physical and who could compete better. That is all I focused on.”
Bigun, who has been building Lego projects in his spare time at Roland Garros, grew up on hard courts but idolised 14-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal as a boy.
A favourite gift from his parents when he first started playing was a Nadal shirt and watching him fire forehands on Friday evoked memories of the Spanish legend.
“It is great. I feel really comfortable moving and sliding on the clay, playing different spins,” he said.
“I would never call myself a clay-court specialist but now I can say I am feeling more comfortable on it. I have just got to try to keep it going.”
Berkieta, who was planning on spending time in an ice bath on Friday afternoon to prepare for the final to be held on Court Simone Mathieu, said he has known Bigun since they were 10 and declared “it’s going to be a tough match, for sure” on Saturday.