Swiss player Henry Bernet gave himself a fairly impressive 18th birthday present Saturday and said he’d taken inspiration from countrymen Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka following his 6-3, 6-4 win over American Benjamin Willwerth in the Australian Open junior boys’ final.
Bernet said he met Federer for the first time last year at the U.S. Open. He has also practised with Wawrinka as the pair share the same management team. Bernet recently announced he had recruited Severin Luthi, long-time coach of Federer, ending his partnership with current coach Kai Stentenbach.
“I have to thank my coach, this is actually our last trip and I think it’s pretty much the happy ending we deserve,” Bernet said as he received his trophy at Rod Laver Arena. “I wouldn’t be standing here without you as you gave me the belief I could win one of these big tournaments, so thank you very much.”
Bernet beat top-seeded Jan Kumstat in the quarterfinals and Finland’s Oskari Paldanius in the semifinals.
In the junior girls’ final, Japan’s Wakana Sonobe beat American Kristina Penickova 6-0, 6-1 to improve on her runner-up finish at last year’s U.S. Open. Sonobe had defeated the home favourite — and junior world No. 1 Emerson Jones — 6-3, 6-4 in the semifinals at Melbourne Park.
Winner Wakana Sonobe of Japan poses with the trophy after the Junior Girls’ Singles Final against Kristina Penickova of the United States.
| Photo Credit:
Getty Images
Winner Wakana Sonobe of Japan poses with the trophy after the Junior Girls’ Singles Final against Kristina Penickova of the United States.
| Photo Credit:
Getty Images
The 15-year-old Penickova won the girls doubles title on Friday with her twin sister Annika, beating Jones and Britain’s Hannah Klugman 6-4, 6-2.
In the boys’ doubles final, Max Exsted of the United States and Czech Jan Kumstat had a 7-6 (6), 6-3 victory over Egor Pleshivtsev and Ognjen Milic of Serbia. It was Exsted’s second Grand Slam boys’ doubles title following his win in Melbourne in 2024 with fellow American Cooper Woestendick.