Top Seeds Triumph In Contrasting European Junior Finals

The favourites prevailed in today's finals of the European Junior U19 Championships - but while Camille Serme cruised to victory with a straight games win over Victoria Lust in the women's final in Herentals in Belgium, Nicolas Mueller had to fight back from two games down, then save a match-ball in the decider, before beating Joe Lee to become the first Swiss champion of the event.

France's Camille Serme, from Creteil, will enjoy the celebrations for her 18th birthday tomorrow after joining a select group of champions who have retained their European Junior titles. Winner of the women's crown last year for the first time at the age of 16, Serme reached the 2007 final without dropping a game - then despatched England's Victoria Lust 9-4, 9-0, 9-1 in 22 minutes.

It was the second year running that 3/4 seed Lust, the 17-year-old British Junior Champion from Maulden in Bedfordshire, had been stopped in the event by Serme.

Englishman Joe Lee, a 3/4 seed who claimed his unexpected place in the final after upsetting second-seeded compatriot Adrian Waller in the semi-finals, raced to a two-love lead in the match again Mueller - the firm favourite who had reached the final without dropping a game.

But Mueller fought back, drawing level for the loss of just three points in two games. The 17-year-old from Hirzel, near Zurich, then opened up strongly in the dramatic fifth game, taking a 5-2 lead.

But Lee, 17, from Walton-on-Thames in Surrey, battled back to overtake his Swiss opponent and establish a 6-5 advantage. Two unforced tins returned the lead to Mueller, however, before a 'no let' followed by a tinned shot took the English underdog to match-ball at 8-7.

A long, tense and exhausting rally followed before Lee gave away two unforced tin shots to give Muller his first match-ball at 9-8. It was an opportunity the favourite grabbed with both hands - and, after 80 long minutes, Mueller claimed his historic title victory in a 6-9, 8-10, 9-1, 9-2, 10-8 scoreline.

Men's final:
[1] Nicolas Mueller (SUI) bt [3/4] Joe Lee (ENG) 6-9, 8-10, 9-1, 9-2, 10-8 (80m)

Women's final:
[1] Camille Serme (FRA) bt [3/4] Victoria Lust (ENG) 9-4, 9-0, 9-1 (22m)