'In theory I'm the favourite': top seeds Kuzuhara and Marcinko advance
Early battles at Junior Grand Slams are notoriously treacherous for heavyweight contenders, although top seeds Bruno Kuzuhara and Petra Marcinko sidestepped any such concerns to surge into round two at the Australian Open Junior Championships.
With Italy’s Jannik Sinner an interested observer, Kuzuhara, who is No. 2 in the junior world rankings and the highest-seeded boy in Melbourne, made light work of his first-round showdown with Daniele Minighini, prevailing 6-2 6-2.
The 17-year-old American will now draw swords with Australian wild card and home favourite Edward Winter, who recovered from a one-set deficit to defeat Russia’s Konstantin Zhzhenov, for a place in round three.
It was less comfortable for Marcinko, however, and the Croatian was forced to retaliate after losing the opening set to Alexis Blokhina of the United States. She duly obliged and ultimately posted a commanding 3-6 6-3 6-3 triumph.
Marcinko is currently the top-ranked girl on the planet following a blistering run of the form during the final months of 2021 which saw her finish as the year-end No. 1 and crowned an ITF World Champion. Canada’s Kayla Cross awaits in the second round.
For Kuzuhara, he has prior experience of exiting a Junior Grand Slam early after bowing out of September’s US Open Junior Tennis Championships in the second round, having received a bye in the first, despite being the No. 4 seed. It is a case of so far, so good for the Brazil-born teenager.
“It is always great to get the first round done, get a win and get settled in the tournament,” Kuzuhara told itftennis.com. “I started off a bit nervously but after the first three games of the match I settled in and played pretty well.
“I don’t really focus on the seedings. I know in theory I am the favourite to win but I go out and respect everyone because everyone here can play really good tennis. It is not like the seedings are a guaranteed win every time you go out there.
“Every junior wants to win a big Slam and finish their junior career with a Slam but it’s not the end of the world if that doesn’t happen. With my coaches, we always talk about not focusing on the results, it’s about progressing and evolving as a tennis player.”
That evolution has seen Kuzuhara reach at least the semi-finals of his last three junior tournaments, and with ITF World Tennis Tour experience thrown in for good measure, a concerted title bid is a distinct possibility.
“I would say I feel in really good form,” said Kuzuhara. “At Traralgon last week, I played really solidly and got matches under my belt. It was my first tournament of the year, so getting matches and getting back match fit was nice. I feel good coming into the Australian Open.”
Marcinko finds herself in uncharted territory, having transitioned from being unseeded at her previous three Junior Grand Slam appearances to here in Melbourne suddenly being at the top of the food chain.
Factor in her opponent Blokhina being no stranger to springing a surprise or two – she accounted for No. 3 seed Diana Shnaider of Russia at the US Open Junior Tennis Championships in September – and today’s clash was potentially perilous. Despite not being at her fluent best, Marcinko was happy to navigate a tricky encounter.
“She has had some pretty good wins and I didn’t play my best tennis but fought for every point,” Marcinko told itftennis.com.
“I lost the first set but managed to come back. As I say, it wasn’t my best day so just tried try to make it simple. I think it is good that I know I can win and know how to win when it isn’t my best day. It is good that I found a solution.
“The last three Junior Grand Slams, I haven’t been seeded at all so this is new. Being the first seed makes a big difference, but it doesn’t bring any pressure at all. It is a good feeling and just makes me want to show I am at that level.”
Elsewhere, there were victories for a trio of players – Shnaider, Edas Butvilas and Coleman Wong – who know what it takes to top the podium at a Junior Grand Slam having previously claimed doubles titles.
Shnaider, the No. 2 seed in the girls’ draw, defeated Italian qualifier Denise Valente 7-5 6-3 to set up a showdown with Australian wild card Taylah Preston, who overcame Japan’s Kurumi Nara in the first round of qualifying for the main draw of the women’s event.
No. 7 seed Butvilas of Lithuania outmanoeuvred Frenchman Arthur Gea 6-7(5) 7-5 7-6(2) and will now draw swords with wild card Max Batyutenko, while No. 12 seed Wong dispatched Australia’s Amor Jasika. Turkey’s Togan Tokac is next up for him in round two.
In the boys’ draw, there were also victories for third seed Adolfo Daniel Vallejo of Paraguay, Mexico’s rising star Rodrigo Pacheco and Argentina’s Lautaro Midon, although it proved the end of the road for Peru’s Ignacio Buse.
In the girls’ competition, No. 8 seed Sofia Costoulas, fresh from her success at J1 Traralgon last week, breezed past Aruzhan Sagandikova of Kazakhstan, while there were also wins for Switzerland’s Celine Naef and Victoria Mboko of Canada.
Further information on the Australian Open Junior Championships, including a full set of results, is available here.