Blockx, Korneeva win Australian Open junior titles
Alexander Blockx of Belgium celebrates after defeating Learner Tien of the U.S. in the boys singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
Alexander Blockx of Belgium celebrates after defeating Learner Tien of the U.S. in the boys singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
Alina Korneeva of Russia reacts after defeating compatriot Mirra Andreeva in the girls’ singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Mirra Andreeva of Russia reacts after winning a point against compatriot Alina Korneeva in the girls singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Alina Korneeva of Russia reacts after defeating compatriot Mirra Andreeva in the girls’ singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Alina Korneeva of Russia holds her trophy aloft after defeating compatriot Mirra Andreeva in the girls’ singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Alina Korneeva, right, of Russia holds her trophy after defeating compatriot Mirra Andreeva in the girls’ singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Alexander Blockx of Belgium celebrates after defeating Learner Tien of the U.S. in the boys singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
Alexander Blockx of Belgium celebrates after defeating Learner Tien of the U.S. in the boys singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
Alexander Blockx of Belgium celebrates after defeating Learner Tien of the U.S. in the boys singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
Alexander Blockx of Belgium celebrates after defeating Learner Tien of the U.S. in the boys singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
Alexander Blockx of Belgium celebrates after defeating Learner Tien of the U.S. in the boys singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
Alina Korneeva of Russia reacts after defeating compatriot Mirra Andreeva in the girls’ singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Alina Korneeva of Russia reacts after defeating compatriot Mirra Andreeva in the girls’ singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Mirra Andreeva of Russia reacts after winning a point against compatriot Alina Korneeva in the girls singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Mirra Andreeva of Russia reacts after winning a point against compatriot Alina Korneeva in the girls singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Alina Korneeva of Russia reacts after defeating compatriot Mirra Andreeva in the girls’ singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Alina Korneeva of Russia reacts after defeating compatriot Mirra Andreeva in the girls’ singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Alina Korneeva of Russia holds her trophy aloft after defeating compatriot Mirra Andreeva in the girls’ singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Alina Korneeva of Russia holds her trophy aloft after defeating compatriot Mirra Andreeva in the girls’ singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Alina Korneeva, right, of Russia holds her trophy after defeating compatriot Mirra Andreeva in the girls’ singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Alina Korneeva, right, of Russia holds her trophy after defeating compatriot Mirra Andreeva in the girls’ singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Alexander Blockx of Belgium celebrates after defeating Learner Tien of the U.S. in the boys singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
Alexander Blockx of Belgium celebrates after defeating Learner Tien of the U.S. in the boys singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Alexander Blockx of Belgium beat American Learner Tien 6-1, 2-6, 7-6 (9) to win the junior boys championship at the Australian Open on Saturday.
“It was one of my hardest battles of my life,” the 17-year-old Blockx said.
In the junior girls singles final, ninth-seeded Alina Korneeva beat seventh-seeded Mirra Andreeva 6-7 (2), 6-4, 7-5 in a 3-hour, 18-minute baseline duel between the 15-year-old Russian doubles partners.
“It’s not our last battle,” Korneeva said during the trophy presentations. “We will have a lot of good matches.”
In the junior girls doubles final, Renata Jamrichova of Slovakia and Federica Urgesi of Italy beat Japan’s Hayu Kinoshita and Sara Saito 7-6 (5), 1-6, 10-7.
Tien paired with fellow American Cooper Williams to beat Blockx and Brazilian Joao Fonseca 6-4, 6-4 in the junior boys doubles final on Friday.
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