Hannah Klugman ends 49-year wait for British junior French Open finalist

Hannah Klugman has become the first British player to reach the French Open juniors final in almost 50 years.

The 16-year-old from Kingston-upon-Thames battled through to her maiden grand slam final after a gritty 1-6 6-3 6-3 win over Bulgarian Rositsa Dencheva.

Klugman is the first Briton to achieve the feat since Michelle Tyler claimed the title in 1976, the same year Sue Barker won the women's event.

"I'm just a bit shocked to be honest," she said. "I wasn't playing my best and I found it tough to get myself into the match.

"I felt like as soon as I did that I was in a good space and I thought I could do well if I got into the match.

"I think I've been mentally very good this week. I think I'm staying calm in big moments and also just trying to take it in.

"These moments don't happen a lot, so trying to enjoy it is a big part. My coach and physio are basically saying 'go out there and enjoy it', because you never know if you'll be in the spot again."

Klugman will face 17-year-old Austrian Lilli Tagger in Saturday's final.

Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski are through to the final of the men's doubles.

The British pair beat Americans Christian Harrison and Evan King 10-7 in a deciding-set tie-break.

Neither Skupski or Salisbury, who linked up at the start of the season, had previously progressed beyond the men's quarter-finals.

They will meet Marcel Granollers of Spain and Argentina's Horacio Zeballos in the final.

Alfie Hewett reached the final of the men's wheelchair singles after beating Argentinian fourth seed Gustavo Fernandez in three sets.

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Hewett, the second seed and three-time winner, will take on top-ranked Japanese star Tokito Oda in the final.

Hewett will also go for a seventh title with fellow Brit Gordon Reid in the doubles final, against Oda and 54-year-old Frenchman Stephane Houdet.

PA