Polmans finishes strongly to claim 18/u win
After finishing runner-up in the same event last year, Marc Polmans has won the 18/u Australian Championships and scored an Australian Open qualifying wildcard.
Melbourne VIC, Australia, 12 December 2015 | tennis.com.au
Marc Polmans has completed an impressive week to claim victory over Oliver Anderson in the final of the boys’ 18/u Australian Championships at Melbourne Park on Saturday.
Polmans recovered from a challenging opening set to run out a commanding 3-6 6-4 6-0 winner over the top-seeded Anderson, in a 1 v 2 seeded final.
The Victorian will gain a wildcard entry into Australian Open 2016 qualifying, as well as entry into next week’s Australian Open Play-off.
“It feels great. Last year I was runner up so this year to go one step further is a great thing for me,” he said.
“I’m really happy I get to play the wildcard play-off next week and the Aussie Open quallies, so that’s a big achievement for me.
“Playing against those players (in Grand Slam qualifying) is good fun because I can see where my game’s at. Obviosuly I get to play in front of my family and friends, so that’s also a nice thing.
“Last year I played against Tim Smyczek who ended up qualifying and losing in five sets (in the second round) to Rafa. So to play against those sort of guys is a great experience.”
Polmans began strongly to open up a 3-0 lead, only for Anderson to storm back and win six games in a row to pocket the first set.
Yet Polmans was never discouraged – staying true to his physical, aggressive game, he broke serve early in the second set and held onto that advantage for the remainder of it to send the match into a deciding stanza.
Once there, he grew in confidence and strength while Anderson succumbed to errors; although many of the games in the final set extended to deuce, it was Polmans winning the most important points.
He served out the match resoundingly to post a final set bagel.
“I was feeling really confident,” Polmans said of his week at Melbourne Park.
“I did a lot of fitness in the off-season before these tournaments so I felt like I could go the distance in these long matches. I felt like I was covering the court well and making a lot of balls and making it tough for my opponents.
“It was good to go the distance today and come through with a win.”
The December Showdown runs from 5-20 December 2015 at Melbourne Park.