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The French Open
Roland Garros, Paris, France
May 27 - June 9, 2002
Angelique Widjaja (INA)
2002 Girl's Champion
A logical win for Widjaja
Guillaume Baraise, Sunday, June 9, 2002TThis is the first time an Indonesian player has won the title since the creation of the tournament in 1953. Her win was to be expected. A promising Asian tennis player, Angelique Widjaja (born December 12th 1984) has already won a senior tournament in Bali in September 2001. At Roland-Garros, she made it to the semi-finals in the juniors draw last year, but especially made a notable win this year in the main draw, defeating the American Jill Craybas (n°94) in the first round. Widjaja also won the juniors title at Wimbledon in 2001.
Native of Bandung, the right-handed player has a classic game, arriving in the tournament with a lot more to boast than the other players in the junior circuit. But her run was not easy all the time. In the first round, she finally took the match in the third set 7/5 against the Russian Galina Voskoboeva. On the same score, she defeated Kim Clijsters' sister, Elke. It became a little easier for her in the rounds to follow until arriving in the final. She lost the first set to the American Ashley Harkleroad (n°11) before dominating in the last two sets.
More at ease on hard surfaces, Widjaja has a devastating two-handed backhand. Despite her youth, she's a quick hitter, but her service and rapidity on the court need working on. Trained by Meiske Wiguna and Deddy Tedjamukti, the youngest of 5 children (she has four older brothers) Widjaja is following the footsteps of Yayuk Basuki the leading indonesian player in the past few years.
The juniors tournament was also an opportunity for the French public to discover Ashley Harkleroad, nicknamed "the American Anna Kournikova". The pretty blond, born May 2nd 1985, played her first final in a Grand Slam event, after having been semi-finalist at the Australian Open, at Roland-Garros and at the US Open in 2001. And like Widjaja, the player from Tennessee is more comfortable on hard surfaces, given her great game at the net. Psychologically speaking, she's a bit fragile, but her talent is undeniable.
Harkleroad made the headlines last September at Flushing Meadow by wearing rather provocative clothes on the court. At Roland-Garros, she made the news by taking her revenge on Marion Bartoli. The French girl, who triumphed in New York after defeating the American in the semi-finals, was dominated this time 6/2, 6/1 in the third round by Jimmy Brown's pupil. Ranked 287th, Ashley represents the future of women's tennis in the states. Already sought after by numerous sponsors, we haven't seen the last of her.
Related Links:
Angie's Website"Costa Grows Up",by M. Cronin, 6/9/2002"Serena captures Grand Slam title number two", 6/8/2002French Open Official Web Site© 1998-2003, Tennis Factory, Arlington, Virginia. All Rights Reserved.