Kan and Kern – winners of the airberlin german juniors 2011
Robin Kern & Constantin ChristOn Sunday the last matches of the 35th International German Junior Tennis Championships took place: the single finals for the junior girls and the junior boys. In front of the gratifying number of about 600 spectators watching the finals, both favourites came out on top.
Looking at the junior boys, this year’s Wimbledon quarter-finalist, Robin Kern, defied all competition. He didn’t lose one set in the tournament, and his competitor in the final, the unseeded Constantin Christ from Frankfurt, had to acknowledge Kern’s superiority. Despite many spectacular rallies Kern managed to turn the outcome mostly to his advantage and in the end won 6:2 and 6:2. Kern is one of the most promising young German talents. He is a very athletic player, amazingly agile considering his height, and he possesses two very dangerous strokes: his serve and his forehand. We expect to hear a lot of him in the near future.
Victoria Kan (RUS)The girls’ final was much more balanced. Donna Vekic (Croatia) dominated the first half of the match and almost carried the day. But Victoria Kan from Russia never gave up and with enormous determination and concentration fought her way through, point after point. At 4:4 in the second set the turning point was reached and Victoria won the second set 6:4. The Croatian’s resistance was broken and Victoria won the third set 6:1, and at the same time defended her title successfully. In the span of 35 years Victoria Kan is only the second player who has managed to defend the title. She impresses us with her intelligent way of playing tennis and her thorough knowledge of the game. With her 15 years she certainly is at the beginning of an amazing career.
Already on Saturday, both doubles finals were played which were decided by the match tie break (instead of by the third set; similarly practised at many WTA, ATP and junior tournaments). International German Champions 2011 are the junior girls Klara Fabikova (CZE) and Jessica Ren (GBR) and the junior boys Dennis Novak (AUT) and Yaroslau Shyla from Belarus.
DLooking back at the tournament the organizers are able to come to a positive evaluation of this year’s airberlin german juniors. Exciting, top-class matches, a big audience, a smoothly run organization and - not to forget – the brilliant tennis weather, all of this has again been perfect advertisement for international junior tennis in Berlin.
