From Melbourne, Robbie Cappuccio
Against all odds Marta Kostyuk, 14 years of age, is the new Autralian Open girls’ champion, after defeating in three tense sets favourite Suisse Rebeka Masarova, seeded n.1 and 3 years older than the Ukrainian, 7-5, 1-6, 6-4.
Masarova came to Melbourne as clear favourite, having won the junior French Open last year and having also won important WTA matches (Jelena Jankovic last year) and displayed a solid tennis throughout the tournament. Despite being less experienced and still physically and technically unripe, and taped from shoulder to ankle, the young Ukrainian (seed n.110 kept the cool when the match was going astray and took advantage of the unforced errors of Masarova who could not capitalise her power.
The match starts at 1pm in a hot – and rather empty – Rod Laver Arena, with a crowd of Ukrainian supporters cheering loudly Kostyuk. There is a clear gap in the serve, with Masarova hitting at 180 km/h and Kostyuk starting at 160, but dropping during the match to a morbid 108 km/h on the first serve. Kostyuk returns well though, playing flat enough and deep enough to keep Masarova under pressure and flying up 5-2 with a first set point, and then other two at 5-4. It was not meant to be and the Suisse comes back to level up at 5-5 and Kostyuk kneeling down in despair. Marta manages to hold serve though and then breaks Masarova taking the first set 7-5.
Rebeka’s game, however, is on the rise and she starts being more aggressive, whereas Kostyuk cannot not find depth in her shots. Her serve starts failing her too with speed dropping from 160 km/h to 125 to 108 km/h: too easy to attack. From 1-1 Masarova takes 5 consecutive games to even up the match looking now in control.
Serve and girls’ tennis don’t go hand in hand: in the first four games of the final set both players are broken twice, and once each to love. let’s face it’s not great tennis, with too many unforced errors (45 for Masarova and 47 for Kostyuk) and too few winners (24 for Masarova and 20 for Kostyuk). At 3 all the Suisse serves a nerve wrecking game, lasting some 8 minutes and six deuces. Both players are afraid to commit unforced errors and with the tension that’s exactly what happens. Kostyuk however is more aggressive and displays a nice touch at the net, apart when sending an overhead in the net thus allowing Masarova to hold. It’s a matter of time though: at the next service game, at 4-4 Masarova is broken.
Kostyuk is now on top of her game and delivers: she gets two match points, but the first is enough, with an inside out forehand which Masarova can only watch. Kostyuk drops her racquet, her body following immediately after. We have a new very young champion at Melbourne Park, with the final score of 7-5, 1-6, 6-4.
