Gavrilova and Sock are 2010 US Open Junior champs.

Jack Sock is the 2010 US Open Junior Boys’ singles champion.

Sock, a native of Lincoln, Neb., used timely serving and a clutch third-set lob to defeat fellow American Denis Kudla, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.

The US Open is Sock’s first title on the ITF Junior Circuit, but he is no stranger to the winner’s circle. Competing almost exclusively at USTA National Junior Tournaments, the 6’1″ Sock is a 20-time gold ball winner. Most recently, he won the National Boys’ 18s hard-court title in Kalamazoo, Mich., earning a wild card into the US Open men’s singles main draw along the way. It ended with the loser in tears and the winner less than giddy about her performance in a match she called “really bad, actually.”

But Daria Gavrilova, who claimed the US Open girls’ title with 6-3, 6-2 win over Yulia Putintseva on Sunday, was beaming when she said that.

While her friend and practice partner suffered an outbreak of errors, Gavrilova stuck to the style that made her the world’s top junior. She used positional play based on high, looping ground strokes, mixed with sharp angles, frequent changes of pace and occasional essays to the net.

Gavrilova did it on little sleep, with her legs still tired from Saturday’s semifinal match.

The first all-Russian final since Lina Krasnoroutskaya beat Nadia Petrova in 1999 was an interesting matchup in theory. Both girls are seasoned in international tournament play, training together at the Moratouraglu Academy in France, and are presumably well-schooled in each other’s games. They also both have the conditioning for long rallies. Gavrilova risks little, while Putintseva, who owns a forehand big enough to shred the most carefully constructed game plan, puts everything into her ground strokes.

Sloane Stephens moves on in singles and doubles.

 Sloane Stephens overcame a slack start for a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 win against Karolina Pliskova. Stephens didn’t often hit with overwhelming power during the quarterfinal match, which made it all the more lethal when she used it.

At deuce, 4-5 on Pliskova’s serve in the second set, the big Czech hit a looping forehand crosscourt and clearly expected the same in return from Stephens, but what she got from the American was a flat ball ripped down the line for a winner — from two feet behind the baseline. Stephens followed that with excellent defense. Pulled wide to her forehand side, she hit a desperation slice to stay in the point and sprinted back toward the other sideline, anticipating the put-away to open court.

Stephens had evened the match, and had the momentum, jumping out to a 4-1 lead in the third set. She took the match with a 5-3 hold that was painful to watch. Stephens was swinging harder than ever on her serve and ground-strokes, but Pliskova imploded. One forehand went wide, one into the net, and another almost hit the backstop. Stephens ended her misery with a service winner to the T.

Stephens next meets Daria Gavrilova of Russia in the semifinals. In the other semifinal, Ons Jabeur, the pride of Tunisian tennis, meets Russian Yulia Putintseva.

In girls’ doubles, Stephens and Timea Babos of Hungaria advanced to the finals against Belgian An-Sophie Mestach and Croatian Silvia Njiric. Regardless of the result, Stephens and Babos should probably register for a few more tournaments together; in their first two outings as a team, they won the French Open and Wimbledon.

17-year-old Jack Sock has punched his ticket to the junior semifinals. The unseeded American defeated No. 13 seed Victor Baluda of Russia on Friday, just a day after taking out No. 5 seed Damir Dzumhur.

Impressive, yes. But the argument can be made that these are ‘upsets’ in name only. After all, Sock won the 18s USTA National Championships last month, and reached the quarterfinals of the Orange Bowl last year. He already owns one pro title — the Amelia Island, Florida futures event — and took world No. 63 Marco Chiudinelli to four sets in a first round men’s match in the Open’s main draw.

However, Open junior seeding depends heavily on a players’ results in International Tennis Federation tournaments held around the world, and Sock has played only a handful in his life. The high school Senior travels sparingly, still lives at home in Lincoln, Nebraska — no hotbed of tennis, pro or otherwise — and still hasn’t decided whether to turn pro or go on to college next year.

He put together a 6-3, 7-6 (4) win over Baluda with the help of a 120-mph serve, occasionally stunning footspeed, and a forehand heavy enough to control play on the run and behind the baseline.

“Baluda was hitting flat, very deep, and he painted some lines today,” Sock said. “I had to cover some court.”

Next up for Sock is No. 2 seed Marton Fucsovics in the semifinals.

In the other semifinal, American Denis Kudla meets Agustin Velotti of Argentina.

Heather Watson & Bernard Tomic are US Open Junior Champions.

US Open Junior champions were determined today at Flushing Meadows after 2 days of rain interuptions.

Bernard Tomic of Australia defeated Chase Buchanan 6-1, 6-3.

Great Britain’s Heather Watson claimed the US Open girls’ singles title on Sunday with a straight-sets win over Russian Yana Buchina.

Watson, the 11th seed, came from 3-1 down in the first set to win 6-4 6-1 on Court 7 at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre.

The 17-year-old from Guernsey is the first British girl to win the US Open junior title and follows on from Laura Robson’s Wimbledon girls’ title in 2008.

Aussie Tomic is favoured over Buchanan in Junior Final.

Australian teenage tennis star Bernard Tomic has stormed into the US Open junior boys’ final with back-to-back straight-sets victories in New York.

With rain washing out play on Friday and threatening to cause havoc again on Saturday (Sunday AEST), all junior matches were moved to an indoor complex outside of New York.

The third-seeded Tomic excelled on the faster surface, crushing Brazilian Tiago Fernandes 6-1 6-4 in the quarter-finals and then seeing off Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-1 7-6 (7-5) in the semis.

Seeking a second junior grand slam crown to add to his 2008 Australian Open title, 16-year-old Tomic will face unseeded American Chase Buchanan in the final at Flushing Meadows on Sunday.

Chase Buchanan defeats Bhambri, waits for finals opponent.

Boys’ singles semifinal:

Chase Buchanan def. Gianni Mina [8], 6-3, 6-3

Boys’ singles quarterfinals:

Bernard Tomic [3] def. Tiago Fernandes 6-1, 6-4

Pierre-Hugues Herbert def. Raymond Sarmiento 6-2, 4-6, 6-2

Gianni Mina [8] def. Denis Kudla [16] 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3

Chase Buchanan def. Yuki Bhambri [1] 6-3, 7-6 (4)

Junior final set Heather Watson v. Yana Buchina.

Britain’s Heather Watson has booked her place in the US Open girls’ final but Laura Robson suffered semi-final defeat in New York.

Watson will take on Russian Yana Buchina who beat former Wimbledon junior champion Robson 1-6 6-3 7-5.

There were high hopes of an all-British final and Watson secured her place by beating Russia’s Daria Gavrilova 6-3 6-0, however Robson fell short.

Because of the weather disruptions to the tournament, 15-year-old Robson and 17-year-old Watson both had to play two matches on Saturday.

Given the wet weather, which held up play at Flushing Meadows again, the junior events were also switched to the Sound Shore Indoor Tennis Club at nearby Port Chester, north east of Manhattan.

Watson, the 11th seed from Guernsey, staged an upset to defeat Thailand’s Noppawan Lertcheewakarn 6-2 6-1 in her quarter-final, while Robson beat American Lauren Davis 6-2 6-3.

Following the semi-finals, Buchina will be seeking her third British scalp of the tournament when she takes on Watson, having knocked out Stephanie Cornish in the first round.

“I played superb tennis today and didn’t make too many unforced errors,” said 17-year-old Watson. “I was really relaxed. I didn’t hit yesterday and I think that was a benefit to me.

“I was hitting the ball really well. I wasn’t getting angry at all. I was thinking about doing everything and it worked.

“My service percentage was really high today. I didn’t step back, I just kept attacking everything. I was very relaxed and all in all just in a very good mood. I kept calm, focused and gave nothing away.”

Watson admitted Lertcheewakarn, this year’s Junior Wimbledon champion, was the scalp she really wanted.

“She was the one I thought would be the toughest,” continued the Channel Islander. “I went in with a game plan and I stuck to it.”

Buchina and Watson should certainly know what to expect from each other after playing doubles together regularly.

“I still have one more match to go and now have to relax and mentally prepare for that,” she added. “She has a killer forehand so I’m going to have to stay away from it but I’m so determined to beat her.”

Laura Robson into Junior quarters.

Rising British star Laura Robson remains on track for Junior US Open glory after storming into the girls’ quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows on Thursday – and she was later joined in the last eight by compatriot Heather Watson.

The Melbourne-born 15-year-old produced a thoroughly convincing display during the third-round encounter against 12th seed Tamaryn Hendler and cruised to an easy 6-2 6-1 victory.

Robson, who came from a set down to beat Lauren Embree in her previous encounter, now seems to be hitting top gear as she looks to put the disappointment on missing out on the main women’s draw firmly in the past.

Last year’s Junior Wimbledon champion dropped serve twice in a topsy-turvy opening set but broke four times in response to ensure she moved 1-0 up over the Belgian, who is two years her senior.

The second set was much more straightforward for Robson, who broke two more times to polish off victory in one hour and 12 minutes to set up a quarter-final clash against American wild card Lauren Davis.

“I liked her game style,” Robson said of Hendler. “I liked how she hit it hard, it was easier for me. I was looking to hit percentage shots rather than going for the lines so I think that’s why it seemed a bit more fluid.

“It was a lot harder than the score suggests because there were a lot of games that went to deuce and she had a couple of break point chances.

“So it wasn’t a routine match but I thought I played well.”

Robson was followed onto Court Eight by 11th seed Watson, who took care of Germany’s Annika Beck 6-4 7-5.

Watson’s last-eight opponent will be second seed, Noppawan Lertcheewakarn of Thailand, who was beaten by Robson in last year’s Wimbledon girls’ final.

15 year old Laura Robson into the final 16.

British starlet Laura Robson showed plenty of fighting spirit to keep her Junior US Open hopes alive on Tuesday.

Last year’s Junior Wimbledon champion found herself a set down to American Lauren Embree and later 4-1 down in the final set.

But she recovered, winning the last five games to post a 4-6 6-1 6-4 win and oust the seventh seed.

Embree, two years Robson’s senior at 17, edged a tight first set in which Robson was able to convert just one of 10 break points.

However, the Briton sorted that statistic out in the second set, taking two out of two break points as she quickly levelled the match.

Robson was back in trouble when she lost her serve in the fourth game of the decider, but she dug deep to hit back in the seventh game, breaking to love.

The 15-year-old broke to love again in the ninth game and duly served out to claim her place in the last 16.

US Open Junior wild cards.

The USTA announced the names of eight boys and eight girls who have been offered wild card entries into the 2009 US Open boys’ and girls’ singles championships. The US Open Junior Championships will be played September 6–13 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y.

Three 2009 USTA National Champions were granted wild card entries – Chase Buchanan (USTA Boys’ 18s), Gonzales Austin (USTA Boys’ 16s), Lauren Davis (USTA Girls’ 16s) – in addition to runner-up Jack Sock (USTA Boys’ 16s) and 2008 USTA Girls’ 18s winner Gail Brodsky.

US Open Boys’ Main Draw Wild Card Recipients

Gonzales Austin (16, Miami)

Chase Buchanan (18, New Albany, Ohio)

Bjorn Fratangelo (16, Pittsburgh)

Dennis Novikov (15, Boca Raton, Fla.)

Junior Ore (16, Gaithersburg, Md.)

Jack Sock (16, Lincoln, Neb.)

Raymond Sarmiento (17, Fontana, Calif.)

Johannes (Bob) Van Overbeek (17, Boca Raton, Fla.)

US Open Girls’ Main Draw Wild Card Recipients

Julia Boserup (17, Boca Raton, Fla.)

Gail Brodsky (18, Brooklyn, N.Y.)

Jacqueline Cako (17, Brier, Wash.)

Alexandra Cercone (17, Seminole, Fla.)

Lauren Davis (15, Gates Mills, Ohio)

Ester Goldfeld (16, Brooklyn, N.Y.)

Grace Min (15, Duluth, Ga.)

Asia Muhammad (18, Henderson, Nev.)

In addition to the main draw wild cards, the USTA has also announced the names of five boys and five girls who have been offered wild card entries into the junior qualifying tournament, which will be played September 4-5.

Boys’ qualifying wild cards have been offered to Marcos Giron (16, Thousand Oaks, Calif.), Alexios Halebian (15, Glendale, Calif.), Mitchell Krueger (15, Aledo, Texas), Nathan Pasha (17, Atlanta) and Shane Vinsant (15, Keller, Texas). Girls’ qualifying wild cards have been offered to Courtney Dolehide (17, Hinsdale, Ill.), Victoria Duval (13, Bradenton, Fla.), Ellen Tsay (15, Pleasanton, Calif.), Chanelle Van Nguyen (15, Coconut Grove, Fla.) and Sachia Vickery (14, Miramar, Fla.). One additional wild card into each of the qualifying draws will be announced at a later time.

Three US Open Junior Champions – Andy Roddick (2000), Lindsay Davenport (1992) and Stefan Edberg (1983) – went on to win the US Open singles title, as did junior runners-up Roger Federer (1998), Boris Becker (1984), Svetlana Kuznetsova (2001) and Martina Hingis (1994).