Sofya Zhuk outclassed fellow Russian and No.12 seed Anna Blinkova to win the Wimbledon girls’ singles, hitting 21 winners on her way to her first Grand Slam title.
The unseeded 15-year-old becomes only the second Russian to win the Wimbledon girls’ singles, overcoming Blinkova 7-5, 6-4 on No.1 Court.
Thousands flocked to watch the all-Russian encounter, evoking memories of the 2002 final when Vera Dushevina defeated Maria Sharapova, and the two teenagers from Moscow did not disappoint.
Zhuk had said that she enjoyed playing in front of large crowds, and looked relaxed from the start. The windy conditions caused both players to struggle to serve in the opening set, with Blinkova double faulting three times in her first service game to go down an early break. Zhuk raced to a 4-0 lead and looked likely to wrap up the set with ease, but Blinkova finally began to find her rhythm.
While there were regular fist-pumps and shouts of “come on” from Zhuk, on the other side of the net there was a quiet comeback underway. Taking advantage of two break points, 16-year old Blinkova levelled the scores at 5-5. Unfazed by the pressure, Zhuk held convincingly to move ahead once again, and broke immediately to seal the set in 42 minutes.
The second set was an almost exact replica, with Zhuk breaking early to go 3-0 up in a matter of minutes, before suffering an attack of cramp. "In middle of second set, I started to have lot of cramping in the calves. I was trying to stay focused because I know if I will lose the second set, third set I cannot play."
Facing match point against her at 3-5 down, Blinkova demonstrated the resolve she has shown all week, holding serve before breaking as Zhuk served for the title. A stunning rally from both players at 5-4, 30-all brought up a second match point for Zhuk, who dropped to the floor when she saw Blinkova drift a forehand long.
An ecstatic Zhuk said: "I love to play on this court. It was the first time I played when so much people are watching me. I was in love and it really helps me a lot. It's my dream to win the Wimbledon, the ladies. It was my dream when I was young. It was my dream to first win the juniors."