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Oliel knocks out top seed to reach Australian Open Junior final

Yshai Oliel has reached the final of the Australian Open Junior Boys tournament with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 victory over the top seed Yibing Wu of China.

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Oliel becomes the first male Israeli tennis player to reach the final of a junior grand slam tournament. He will start the final as favourite against either fifth seed Corentin Moutet of France or 15th seed Zsombor Piros of Hungary and will hope to match the achievement of Shahar Peer who won the Australian Open Junior Girls tournament in 2004 and Anna Smashnova who won the French Open in 1991.

The 17- year-old Israeli, seeded fourth in Melbourne, had beaten all his previous opponents in Melbourne without dropping a set, and in matches lasting less than an hour. But Wu was made of sterner stuff and it took 1 hour 55 minutes before Oliel triumphed.

The opening two sets were evenly matched affairs with the Oliel prevailing to take the first but Wu getting back on equal terms by taking the second.

But the dozens of Israeli and Jewish fans in Melbourne cheered raucously as Oliel raced to 5-1 in the decisive set and was serving for the match.

There was a slight hiccup as Wu defied Oliel to break back but then he could not hold his own serve as the Israeli claimed victory.

"I feel fantastic and so grateful to the fans who came along to cheer me on.

"I'll try and keep up this form for the final, which will be a great match."

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