01/29/22 03:25:00
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01/29 03:23 CST The Latest: Barty wins 1st set in Australian Open final
The Latest: Barty wins 1st set in Australian Open final
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) --- The Latest at the Australian Open on Saturday
(all times local):
8:20 p.m.
Ash Barty has won the first set in the Australian Open final against Danielle
Collins and is potentially one more set away from ending a 44-year drought for
Australian women at their home Grand Slam.
Top-ranked Barty saved a break point in the fifth game and then broke the
American's serve on the way to taking the set 6-3 in 32 minutes. The No.
27-seeded Collins is playing in her first major final.
Barty won Wimbledon last year and the French Open in 2019. She's aiming to be
the first Australian woman since Chris O'Neil in 1978 to win the Australian
singles title.
___
6 p.m.
Top-seeded Bruno Kuzuhara of the United States has added the Australian Open
junior singles title to his earlier doubles crown in incredible circumstances
at Melbourne Park.
Kuzuhara beat fourth-seeded Jakub Mensik 7-6 (4), 6-7 (6), 7-5 in a match that
lasted 3 hours, 43 minutes and ended with the Czech player having serious
cramping that barely allowed him to continue serving.
A 33-point rally won by Kuzuhara in the last game seemed to spell the end for
Mensik, who fell to the court several times with cramps, finished with a pair
of double-faults, and had to be taken off Rod Laver Arena in a wheelchair.
The 17-year-old Kuzuhara has Japanese heritage, was born in Brazil and moved to
the U.S. with his parents when he was an infant.
In his acceptance speech, he thanked his family and friends in America in
England, and also added his thanks in Portuguese and Japanese.
"First of all, it's an unfortunate way to win it," he said during the trophy
presentation. "It was a great fight. We pushed each other right to the end."
To Mensik, he added: "Great match. If you're watching inside, thanks Man."
The Florida-based Kuzuhara won the junior boys doubles title at the Australian
Open with Coleman Wong of Hong Kong --- they beat American Alex Michelsen and
Adolfo Daniel Vallejo of Paraguay 6--3, 7--6 (3).
___
1:30 p.m.
Top-seeded Petra Marcinko is the Australian Open girls champion.
The 16-year-old Croatian player beat eighth-seeded Sofia Costoulas of Belgium
7-5, 6-1 in the first of the junior singles final to kick off play at Rod Laver
Arena on Day 13.
Top-seeded Bruno Kuzuhara of the United States was playing fourth-seeded Jakub
Mensik of Czech Republic in the boys championship match.
The 17-year-old Kuzuhara has Japanese heritage, was born in Brazil and moved to
the U.S. with his parents when he was an infant. The Florida-based Kuzuhara has
already won the junior boys doubles title at the Australian Open with Coleman
Wong of Hong Kong --- they beat American Alex Michelsen and Adolfo Daniel
Vallejo of Paraguay 6--3, 7--6 (3).
The junior girls doubles title has also been decided --- Clervie Ngounoue of
the U.S. and Russian Diana Shnaider beat Canadians Kayla Cross and Victoria
Mboko 6--4, 6--3.
Ash Barty and Danielle Collins were scheduled to play in the women's singles
final in a night match.
___
11:45 a.m.
With center stage to be taken by Ash Barty and Danielle Collins in the women's
singles final later in the day, the junior boys and girls finals were first up
on Rod Laver Arena.
Top-seeded Bruno Kuzuhara of the United States plays fourth-seeded Jakub Mensik
of Czech Republic in the boys championship match.
Kuzuhara, 17, is Brazilian-born but moved to the U.S. with his
Japanese-heritage parents when he was an infant. The Florida-based Kuzuhara has
already won the junior boys doubles title with Coleman Wong of Hong Kong ---
they beat American Alex Michelsen and Adolfo Daniel Vallejo of Paraguay 6--3,
7--6 (3).
The junior girls doubles title has also been decided --- Clervie Ngounoue of
the U.S. and Russian Diana Shnaider beat Canadians Kayla Cross and Victoria
Mboko 6--4, 6--3.
After the Barty-Collins singles championship match, the men's doubles final
features an all-Australian lineup. The crowd-pleasing and so-called "Special K"
team --- Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios, play Matt Ebden and Max Purcell.
___
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