Music: {allcanada} Peliwo confident after Aussie Open

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

{allcanada} Peliwo confident after Aussie Open

MONTREAL -- The trip home from the Australian Open was so long that Filip Peliwo ended up sleeping through most of his 18th birthday.

But it was a happy time nonetheless for one of Canada's top tennis prospects.

The Vancouver native was relaxed and smiling on Tuesday as he recounted three successful weeks Down Under, in which he won a junior tournament and then reached the boys singles final at the Australian Open.

"It's obviously my best achievement so far and hopefully one of many to come," Peliwo said as he met with the media at Montreal's national tennis centre, which has been his training base for three years.

"It helps my confidence a lot. It makes me feel I can keep doing that, reaching the next final and winning this time. It's my last year (as a junior), so I have to transition to the pros. I'll try to keep improving my fitness and my tennis."

Peliwo's trip started with the biggest win of his career thus far -- a tight, three-set victory over world No. 1 junior Luke Saville of Australia in the Traralgon final, a Group 1 junior event.

A week later, he faced Saville again in the Aussie Open final, only to lose in the third and final set.

"It was almost the exact same scoreline, only he won 6-4 in the third this time," said Peliwo. "The previous match I saved a couple of match points, so it could have gone either way.

"That's the way it goes sometimes. I played a little bit better the first match and he had the support in the second match in Melbourne. So it's just one game in the third set that cost me. But that's sport."

He had lost in the first round of both tournaments a year earlier. This time, he arrived in Australia ranked 21st among juniors and left it ranked No. 5.

The biggest thrill was getting to play the final at Rod Laver Arena, on the same court where Novak Djokovic ended up beating Rafael Nadal in the men's final.

He called it "an amazing experience.

"I've never played on a court so big in front of so many people. I could see myself up on the Jumbotron. There were a lot of people cheering, mostly for (Saville), but they were pretty good about cheering for me when I hit a good shot. It was a good experience. Hopefully I'll have more chances to play on courts like that."

The trip back to Montreal, via Sydney, Los Angeles and Toronto, was supposed to have him home by 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, but delays and a missed flight in Toronto didn't to get him home until late Monday night. His birthday on Monday was mainly spent snoozing on airplanes.

Canadian Davis Cup captain Martin Laurendeau watched all his matches in Melbourne and came back impressed.

Peliwo signalled that he had stepped up his game last autumn when he reached the semifinals of the Dunlop Orange Bowl.

"He came close to being the first Canadian to win a Grand Slam," said Laurendeau. "It was a great run for him.

"He's our best prospect and it will be interesting for him to (make the) transition between the juniors and playing some Futures and Challeneger events in 2012, as well as junior Grand Slams. He's got a lot of tools that are necessary to make it. He's still very green, but so far, so good."

What stands out about Peliwo in an era of towering ball-smashers is he is slightly built at five foot 11 and 140 pounds. Laurendeau said appearances can be deceiving.