KUCHING: Belarusian teenager, Yuliya Perapekhina, clinched the girls’ singles title at the 42nd Premier Sarawak ITF World Junior Tour J300 with an impressive 6-1, 6-4 victory over Japan’s top seed, Goto Reina.
The 16-year-old, seeded 11th, delivered a dominant performance at the Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association (SLTA) Centre today, capping off what she described as her best week in recent memory.
“I’m really happy. I think today was my best game of the tournament.
“I played very well every day, but today was the best,” said Yuliya, who admitted she had gone a year without winning a tournament before this breakthrough.
She told reporters at SLTA that winning in Kuching brought “incredible emotions” after a difficult stretch on the junior circuit, and she hopes the success will help boost her current ITF junior ranking of 95.
Earlier in the tournament, Yuliya also partnered fellow Belarusian, Polina Kuharenko, to lift the girls’ doubles title, securing a memorable double triumph – her first since winning at the J200 event in Tashkent, Uzbekistan last year.
Looking ahead, Yuliya hopes to qualify for the Roland Garros Junior Championship but said her next tournament has yet to be confirmed.
Meanwhile, Japan’s Ryo Tabata captured the boys’ singles title, beating India’a Arnav Paparkar 6-2, 6-2 in the final.
The tournament concluded with strong showings from some of the world’s top junior talents, highlighting Kuching’s growing status on the international tennis map.
Sarawak Transport Deputy Minister, Datuk Henry Harry Jinep, an avid tennis enthusiast, was present at the prize-giving ceremony, alongside Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association (SLTA) President, Datuk Patrick Liew, and tournament director, Douglas Telajan.
