In the first days of August, in Prostejov, Czech Republic, the finals of the ITF Juniors World Tennis were played with the participation of 16 teams, including Argentina. The albiceleste team was represented by the Santafesina Tennis Federation with the participation of Luna Cinalli, who was the surprise of the contest disputed on brick dust both for his way of playing and for the numbers that his performance yielded: She became, for example, the Argentine player with the most games played and won so far in all the Juniors World Tennis Finals.
It is worth clarifying that in this U14 World Cup, Argentina ranked 11th, being its best historical position in the Juniors World Tennis Finals. In this contest, Argentina was 2 sets away from being able to pass an extremely complicated group phase together with very strong teams such as the Czech Republic (ultimately champion), Canada and Korea that finished 5th in the world cup defeating England (the a priori candidate ) in the playoff 5-6.
With a performance that was on par with the best in the world, in Prostejov, Luna was the player with the best performance in singles (6 singles played, 5 wins and 1 loss with 11 sets won) and played one more match with respect to Laura Samsanova and Alena Kovackova, the Czechs chosen as the best in the tournament. In the final ranking of singles, in the ratio of matches won-lost, sets and games won-lost, Luna finished in first place. With 10 hours and one minute, she was the player with the most time on the court.
As preparation for the World Cup, Luna played an ITF in Uruguay to have competition, reached the final (the first ITF of her career) against the local Juliana Rodríguez and was suspended due to rain, so the points were shared. He then had a few days to finish preparing himself physically, meet up with his teammates in Buenos Aires, train at the Cenard and leave for the Czech Republic.
“In the World Cup I really liked everything… the tournament, the place and obviously playing. I felt that I played my best tennis there. Every moment I had I enjoyed it and I didn’t want it to end but it went by so fast.”Luna confessed making a hasty balance of the World Cup experience.
Did you notice differences with some teams in terms of professionalism?
I felt that they had a little more experience than me. In my particular case, I had never played against a European and my first time was against a Czech, Eliska Forejkova. I lost but I felt that I played well, only that I lacked a little more experience. Later, at the team level, I noticed the professionalism that the Czechs had. One Thursday, when all the countries got together to eat, they, who were playing a semifinal the next day, stayed for a while and left. I give you the example of them because they were the best team in the tournament.
Let’s agree that they are 14-year-old girls who missed a party thinking about the tournament… They mark that they are professionals, but you, as a teenager, how do you see it?
I am telling you the truth? I would have done the same… We were in a World Cup that maybe you play once in your life. That’s why there you have to be professional, then there will be time to celebrate.
Do the Europeans play very differently than the South Americans?
Yes, I think that everything is very dynamic there. Finish a point and you don’t have time to think about the next one that already begins. In the sense of feeling the ball and in speed, here you go out with a heavy ball and they come out with another lob, while there they take out a parallel stick that you had to get into the court and close it in the net because if you didn’t go. It is much more dynamic and honestly I liked that tennis much more, I loved it. I felt very comfortable playing like that.
What was the biggest inconvenience you had?
I honestly had no problems, I was able to adapt very well. At the beginning, with the first balls of the first match, I didn’t know how to position myself on the court or how to put together a strategy because I hadn’t felt the ball, but when I picked up the pace I no longer had any difficulty.
Was there a party in particular to say, I hang this one from a painting?
No, I felt very good in all the matches. But if I have to choose one, I think that if she had beaten Forejkova she would have put that one. It was a match.
Where was the difference with the Czech?
In the experience. For her it was just another match and for me it was the first against a European. I gave everything, but I needed a little more experience. After I played with her it was like I let go. I understood how everything was and later when I played with the other countries I did very well.
Did you know your rivals?
A little… he had studied them. I like to go to a court and see what happens, but this time I studied them with my dad. We made a PDF with the best players in the World Cup, with their strengths and weaknesses.
They overcame a historical barrier that Argentina had, what makes you think?
It made me very happy when I found out, but I think we can get over it.
From now on, what’s next?
In a few weeks I have two ITFs in Villa María. That’s the next step, then I don’t know. Later we will see what comes next.
