A surprised 16-year-old, Hannah Klugman, is set to compete for her first Grand Slam title this Saturday.
The schoolgirl from Kingston-upon-Thames has become the first British player to reach the French Open juniors final in nearly 50 years.
The 16-year-old fought hard in the semi-finals, securing a resilient 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory against Bulgaria`s Rositsa Dencheva.
Michelle Tyler, now 66, won the girls` title in Paris back in 1976. Interestingly, this was the same year Sue Barker claimed the women`s senior championship.
Klugman is scheduled to play against 17-year-old Austrian Lilli Tagger in Saturday`s final. Reflecting on her semi-final win, she commented: “I’m honestly a little bit shocked. I wasn’t playing my best tennis and struggled to find my rhythm in the match.”
She added: “However, once I managed that, I felt I was in a good position and believed I could perform well.”
Speaking about her performance throughout the week, she noted: “Mentally, I think I`ve been very strong this week. I feel I`m staying calm during crucial moments and also making sure to appreciate the experience.”
“These opportunities don`t come around often, so trying to enjoy it is a significant factor.”
Her coach and physio have advised her to focus on enjoying the moment, telling her: “Go out there and enjoy it, because you never know if you`ll be in this position again.”
In the men`s doubles, Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski also reached the final, defeating Americans Christian Harrison and Evan King in a deciding-set tie-break with a score of 6-7, 6-3, 7-6.
They are set to face Spaniard Marcel Granollers and Argentina’s Horacio Zeballos in the final. The last time a British pair won this specific men`s doubles title was Fred Perry and Pat Hughes back in 1933.
Furthermore, Alfie Hewett advanced to the wheelchair singles final, overcoming Argentine Gustavo Fernández 6-4, 4-6, 7-6. He will compete against the No. 1 seed, Tokito Oda, aiming for his fourth French Open title and his first since 2021.
