Swiatek outplays Kung to claim 2018 Wimbledon girls' title
Does Iga Swiatek believe it now? Does she finally think she can play on grass?
"Yeah, right now I'm sure," the Wimbledon girls' singles champion said with a beaming smile befitting her new status, after an impressive 6-4 6-2 finals defeat of weary Swiss qualifier Leonie Kung.
What the 17-year-old could not answer, though, was how it felt to be a Wimbledon champion, for it was too early to know. "I'm too overwhelmed. I don't feel it. I have to rest and then I will enjoy everything," Swiatek said. Next stop: the Champions Ball.
Her big competitive occasion had been on the 11,393-seat No.1 Court. Swiatek liked it. A lot. "I was thinking that this is why I play tennis, to make the show, to make people clap, to make them enjoy the game. I don't know, I feel like that's my goal, to entertain. I think I learn it today. I didn't know about it. That's new for me."
Swiatek had been concerned she would be unable to handle the pressure and stress, but was thrilled to play as well as she did. She served wonderfully, lapsing only when attempting to close out the first set, and hit eight aces among 33 winners to just 13 unforced errors, using the drop shot effectively and breaking Kung five times.
"I felt tired, mentally and physically, and my opponent played really, really well," said Kung, also 17, of her farewell appearance in an admittedly brief junior career. "She made good serves, she made good shots. I just didn't play my best at all today. When you go onto a court and you know that you're not 100 per cent fit, it's kind of tough to go in a match and play your best."
Swiatek celebrated by running over and up to her family and team in the player box, some wearing T-shirts bearing her name. She hopes to become a big one, including on her favoured clay at Roland Garros. She has already made a promising start at professional level, having already made her Fed Cup debut after graduating from the winning 2016 Junior Fed Cup team, won five ITF titles and attained a career-high WTA ranking of No.330.
She is the fourth Polish winner of the girls," title - the most notable Agnieszka Radwanska in 2005, who went on to reach the 2012 ladies' final, and No. 2 in the world.
Swiatek will play the Youth Olympics, but otherwise feels it's time to move on. "I play junior Grand Slam since 2016. I had a long time to play juniors. Now we had to take another step,'' she said.
"I want to build a better WTA ranking and to play senior tournaments. I hope I will do well next year in Wimbledon if I get a wild card to ladies' singles. I can't wait."
Kung was worn out by her achievement in becoming the first qualifier to reach a Wimbledon girls' final since Russian Anna Chakvetadze in 2003. "It's amazing to have been here and to have made it in the finals," said Kung.
"I never thought I would achieve this. It's just great that I made it possible for myself and won these matches against good players. Court One was amazing today. It was such a great experience playing on that court. Many juniors who didn't know me before they know me now and they congratulated me, so it's nice.
After the second longest match, time-wise, in the history of the Wimbledon junior championships, never has a rest day been more welcome for Jack Draper. The first home-grown boys' singles finalist in seven years is bidding to become the first British winner of the event since Stanley Matthews in 1962.
His opponent, top seed Chun Hsin Tseng, is yet to drop a set in the tournament and his entire 61-minute semifinal took less than a quarter of the time Draper was out on court.
"I am so excited and so happy that I can make it to the final because Wimbledon is the most history of tennis and I hope Sunday I can have a good result," said 16-year-old Tseng.
"I think I have to keep very solid because he is also very strong player and I think I have to be aggressive and to be confident in myself and hopefully I can win."
The French Open champion and Australian Open runner-up believes his finals experience will be beneficial against a Grand Slam first-timer, even if the Taiwanese star's preference is for clay over grass.
Success at Roland Garros, he said, had given him confidence and mental strength.
"I think because last year I also play Wimbledon and I think that help me a lot because I can get more used to it. In the pressure in the finals I can be more relaxed and just to play my best tennis."
Both 16-year-olds will be making their No.1 Court debut. I mean, wow, as a young Brit, you dream sort of being on those big courts," Draper said, the left-hander's previous match having been decided 19-17 in a thrilling third set.
"I know he's an extremely tough opponent. He's doing well on the men's side, as far as I know. He's, of course, No.1 junior. He's a very good prospect. It will be tough to beat him, yeah."