Special from
Zoo Tennis
Share: |  |
|  | |
|
|
WIMBLEDON - Young players getting their first taste of grass court tennis may not embrace it wholeheartedly, but sharing the All England Lawn Tennis Club with ATP stars like Jannik Sinner and Taylor Fritz in the final days of the Wimbledon Championships was undeniably inspiring for Moritz Freitag of Austria and Tristan Ascenzo of the United States. The pair, who were among the 16 boys and 16 girls invited to participate in the fourth annual 14U tournament hosted by the club, went 9-1 in competition in the four-day event.
Boys 14s Champion Moritz Freitag
© Paul Ballard
Freitag, who went undefeated in round robin play to qualify for the knockout phase, defeated Les Petits As champion Mario Vukovic of France 6-2, 6-4 in the semifinals before earning a Wimbledon title with a 4-6, 6-1, 10-4 victory over Rafael Pagonis of Greece in Sunday's final on Show Court 12.
Freitag vowed to play more aggressively after dropping the opening set, and the level he found in the second half of the match allowed him to avenge his loss to Pagonis in the final of the Tennis Europe Category 1 tournament on grass the previous month.
"First set, I didn't play bad, not really good, but good, and in the first game he did a break, then he played really amazing," said Freitag, who reached the quarterfinals of Les Petits As in January. "Second set, I tried to hit the ball a little bit harder and I played really, really good and he missed some shots."
Freitag said he learned from his loss to Pagonis in that June final, which served as a qualifying event for the Wimbledon 14U tournament.
"I learned that when it's close, and also in the tiebreak always, he's playing amazing tennis, even better than normal," said Freitag, who turned 14 a week after claiming the Wimbledon title. "Today in the match tiebreaker, I said to myself I need to go full power, because if I play nervous I will lose."
Joining any list of Wimbledon champions is an honor, but Freitag recognized that the value of the experience was independent of his results.
"When I came here, it was already amazing," said Freitag, who is coached by his brother Filip and by Evelyn Fauth in Graz. "To see the pro players, to play on grass, it's amazing. I felt really good on grass."
Frietag was eager to watch his hero Sinner later that afternoon, although he thought television would be his best bet, as he lacked tickets to Centre Court.
"[My hero] is Jannik Sinner," said Freitag, whose red hair and lanky frame call to mind the ATP World No. 1. "I like the way he is playing and I'm also a little bit like him. I hope he's winning today."
While Freitag immediately thrived on grass, Ascenzo expressed some reservations about the surface, which was completely foreign to him before the Wimbledon event.
"First time on grass, first time in London, in Great Britain," said the 14-year-old from Dallas. "It's a love-hate relationship at first. Sometimes you like the grass and sometimes you don't. It definitely takes some time getting used to, but obviously, it's very classy, very nice, and always fun."
Ascenzo finished second in his group, which included Pagonis, losing to Tennis Europe's top-ranked 14s player 6-2, 6-2. But he won both his consolation matches to finish the event 4-1, and like Freitag, his first trip to Wimbledon was eye-opening.
American Tristan Ascenzo Finished 4-1 at Wimbledon
© Paul Ballard
"I was really excited," Ascenzo said of his reaction to being invited to compete in the event. "Because I always watch Wimbledon on TV, see the pros playing, so it's cool that they started this 14s tournament so the younger players can get the experience most of the pros do."
After reaching the Les Petits As final in January, Ascenzo agreed he was more prepared for the large crowds that gathered for the matches on the outer courts prior to the start of play on Centre Court and Court One.
"I think it definitely helped me," said Ascenzo, who is coached by his mother Marta neé Bechliwanis, who played at the University of Virginia alongside twin sister Dora. "Most of these players are easily distracted, looking around the court, because it's not normal to have a bunch of people watching. With the experience I had in France, it was kind of second nature a little bit. Definitely in the big moments, third set, it helped me to focus on the court, on my tactics, the things I can control."
Ascenzo was excited about the success of the Americans during the late stages of Wimbledon, mentioning Fritz and boys finalist Ronit Karki.
"I know all the [junior] guys," Ascenzo said. "I see them down at Orlando. I've been cheering them on, seeing them in the locker room after their matches. Girls, too, doing well."
"And ladies," added Ascenzo's 11-year-old brother Pierce, who also plays. "Amanda Anisimova too."
Girls 14s Champion Sakino Miyazawa
© Paul Ballard
Ascenzo and Freitag did not meet during the 14U Wimbledon tournament, but another opportunity is right around the corner, with both Austria and the United States set to compete in the ITF World Junior Tennis 14U Team Championships next month in the Czech Republic. The US boys are the defending champions; Austria is making its first appearance in the 16-team competition since 1998.
The two US girls competing in the 14U tournament did not advance out of the round robin group, with Emery Combs defeating eventual finalist Sofia Bielinska of Ukraine in group play, but losing out in the calculations for advancement to the semifinals. Combs and Carol Shao played each other in one of the three group consolation finals, with Shao winning it 6-3, 6-3.
Thirteen-year-old Sakino Miyazawa of Japan, who had qualified and won a round at the ITF J300 in Roehampton the week before the 14U event, defeated Bielinska 3-6, 7-5, 10-5 in the girls final. The pair had met in the 2024 Junior Orange Bowl 14s final last December, with Miyazawa claiming that final in Coral Gables 6-4, 6-1.
Combs and Shao are also competing for the United States at the World Junior Tennis finals, which begin August 4 in Prostejov.
About BOAST
BOAST is proud to sponsor
Junior Tournaments
at TennisRecruiting.net.
BOAST
is the original American tennis brand, and has been rooted in
racquet sports since 1973. From reigning on-court and in country
clubs, to its rise in pop culture, BOAST has always been a challenger
brand and embodies a champion's spirit - taking on the traditional
mainstays in tennis and representing those that play on their own
terms. Sporting the leaf since '73.
Connect with BOAST on
Facebook,
Instagram,
and
Pinterest,
- or on their
website.
Leave a Comment
More Tournament Features
23-Jul-2025
Pohankova, Ivanov Ease Past Americans for Wimbledon Titles
Slovakia's Mia Pohankova and Bulgaria's Ivan Ivanov weren't fazed by the unpredictable English weather at the The Wimbledon Junior Championships, with both beating American opponents on legendary Court One to capture the singles titles.
18-Jul-2025
Weng Completes Collection with Gold Ball in 18s Singles
Nicole Weng was making progressive steps to capturing the first gold ball of her career. The Southern California resident broke through at the USTA Girls 18 National Clay Court Championships in South Carolina, outlasting Janae Preston in three sets in the final.
18-Jul-2025
Antonius Makes Triumphant Return to USTA Nationals
Michael Antonius excelled in his return to USTA national tournament play, capturing the USTA Boys 18 National Clay Court Championships singles titles in Delray Beach, Florida. The 15-year-old Buffalo native dropped only 20 total games during his run to the gold ball.
About Colette Lewis
Colette Lewis
has covered topflight U.S. and international junior
events as a freelance journalist for over a decade.
Her work has appeared in
Tennis magazine, the
Tennis
Championships magazine and the US Open program. Lewis is active on
Twitter,
and she writes a weekly column right here at TennisRecruiting.net.
She was named
Junior Tennis Champion
for 2016 by Tennis Industry Magazine.
Lewis, based out of Kalamazoo, Michigan, has seen every National
Championship final played since 1977, and her work on the
tournament's ustaboys.com website
led her to establish
ZooTennis,
where she comments on junior and college tennis daily.