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Back at the Australian Open 2010, Tiago Fernandes had become the first Brazilian Grand Slam boys' champion and the green and yellow flag is now raised above the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center as well, with the 6th seed Thiago Seyboth Wild winning the title with a 6-1 2-6 6-2 triumph over the Italian Lorenzo Musetti in an hour and 18 minutes. Seyboth Wild is ranked inside the Top 500 on the ATP list and he has been one of the best players born in 2000.
This was his last junior Grand Slam in a career for the Brazilian who is already focused on his pro career, entering only his fourth and probably the last junior event of the season to become the first winner from Brazil in New York.
Thiago was much more effective behind his initial shot and he managed to overcome a poor second set and a 2-0 deficit in the third to bring the match home in style and lift the trophy. He suffered three breaks but that wasn't enough for Musetti to end on the winning side, struggling in his service games to face 10 break points and give his serve away five times.
The Brazilian was off to a perfect start, losing three points on serve in the opening set and moving ahead with a break in game four following a great cross court forehand that forced an error from Musetti. The Italian lost the ground completely and he got broken again at 1-4 after another forehand error, unable to match rival's pace who closed the opener in the following game with an ace after just 18 minutes.
Lorenzo started to play better in the second set and he saved a break point in game five to remain in front before breaking Seyboth Wild in the following game to move 4-2 ahead. The Brazilian couldn't find his range in those moments and he got broken again in game eight after a backhand error to hand the set to his rival, having to raise the level if he wanted to get back on the winning way.
Musetti was on a roll now and he opened the third set with a break in game two following another basic error from Thiago who was in a very tough position now. Having to react quickly, the Brazilian grabbed 20 of the last 27 points to rattle off six straight games, pulling the break back in the third game after a terrible drop shot from the Italian who faded from the court from that point.
Seyboth Wild had the momentum now and he dropped just one point in the last three service games to keep the pressure on Lorenzo and wait for the chance on the return patiently. It came already in game five when he moved ahead thanks to a forehand mistake from his rival and the finish line was clearly in his sight with another break at 4-2, serving for the title in the following game.
In one of the most important games of his career so far, Thiago Seyboth Wild held at love in game eight to wrap up the win after a smash winner, starting a huge celebration and ending his junior career in the best possible way.
The 3rd seed Xiyu Wang has become the first girls' junior Grand Slam champion from China after a 7-6 6-2 win over the French girl Clara Burel in an hour and 25 minutes. Just like Thiago Wild, Wang is already focused on her pro career, winning two pro titles in 2018 and entering the Top 300 as one of the youngest players in that group on the WTA rankings list.
She was beaten in the quarter-final of the Australian Open and Roland Garros before reaching the semi-final at Wimbledon, determined to go all the way in New York and create another milestone in Chinese tennis development.
Wang served at 73% and she kept both the first and second serve to face four break points. Burel did convert three of those but that wasn't enough for at least a set, losing 45% of the points in her games and suffering five breaks from 11 chances she gave to Xiyu, missing a chance to become the first French champion in 17 years.
Clara made a strong start, creating a break point in the opening game and forcing an error from Wang to grab the break at love for an early lead. She saved a break point in game two with a service winner to cement the break before Xiyu pulled it back with a volley winner in game four following a net cord after the serve.
A forehand return winner pushed Wang 5-3 up and she wasted two set points in the next game to keep Burel in contention. The French girl had the upper hand now and she broke the left-handed Chinese once again in game 11 after a forehand error from Wang, serving for the opener in the next game.
Xiyu broke back at 15 with powerful forehands to level the score at 6-6 and set the tie break that she won 7-4 when Clara sprayed a forehand error. Carried by this momentum, Wang lost just six points in four service games of the second set and Burel was nowhere near that pace, losing serve in the third game after another well-constructed point from her opponent.
Clara sent another forehand wide in game seven to fall 5-2 behind and Xiyu Wang crossed the finish line with a hold at 30 in game eight to clinch the title. Final results:
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