Switzerland’s Henry Bernet looked shattered when he came off court after his quarter-final win 0ver top seed Jan Kumstat at the 2025 Australian Open Junior Championships on Thursday.

However, the 17-year-old, who is making his Australian Open debut this week, rose to the occasion during his semi-final showdown with Finland’s Oskari Paldanius today, prevailing 7-6(6) 6-2.

Victory retains Bernet’s 100 per cent record from his 11 matches this season, while is his best performance at a Junior Grand Slam and eclipses his quarter-final finish at last year’s Roland Garros Junior Championships.

“It is very difficult in tennis because you have to think match by match, day by day,” said Bernet. “Sometimes there are physical or mental problems, so you have to find a different solution every day.”

As with his two very famous Swiss forbears, Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka, he plays with a stylish one-handed backhand.

“I met Roger (Federer) once at the last US Open,” he added. “I spoke to him for 20 or 30 minutes and he was very polite, as expected.

“He was asking me where I practice and with who and I was surprised he knew some of my results. With Stan (Wawrinka), we have the same agency and I have practiced with him once. 

“What they both achieved for a country like Switzerland is not normal.

“The one-handed backhand started unexpectedly because I always played the two hands but when I was about 10, my coach made a joke to try a one-hander because I was always struggling to play the two-hander with the left hand.

“It felt natural and so I switched.”

Bernet is now one-match win away from becoming the first Swiss player – boy or girl – to win a Junior Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open.

“I will try to recover well as I have played many matches, added Bernet. “Tomorrow will be tough, even he is probably surprised that he is in the final now. With the juniors, it’s very close and anyone can beat anyone.”

The opponent he refers to is Benjamin Willwerth of the United States, who is playing only the second Junior Grand Slam of his career. The 17-year-old defeating fellow American Jagger Leach 6-7(4) 6-4 6-2 in the other semi.

Asked whether he had phoned home following his last-four triumph, Willwerth said: “No, my phone’s dead right now.”

He then turned his attentions towards Saturday’s final, and the biggest match of his life.

“For sure, it is my biggest match,” he added. “I am going to focus on enjoying it – I am not going to have any expectations. I’m just going to play and if I win, I win. If I lose, I lose."

In the boys' doubles, meanwhile, Max Exsted of the United States and Czechia's Jan Kumstat were crowned champions following a 7-6(6) 6-3 victory over Egor Pleshivtsev and Ognjen Milic of Serbia. 

Victory secured Exsted's second Grand Slam boys' doubles title following his success in Mebourne 12 months ago alongside fellow American Cooper Woestendick. 

A full list of results from the 2025 Australian Open Junior Championships is available here