Pole Janowicz dreaming of a place among the elite

By Julien Pretot

PARIS (Reuters) - Little-known Pole Jerzy Janowicz set his sights on a place among the tennis elite after being beaten 6-4 6-3 by fourth-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer in the final of the Paris Masters on Sunday.

The 21-year-old's barnstorming run to the final secured a place in the world's top 30 and a seeded place in the Australian Open, the grand slam tournament he skipped in January because of a lack of cash.

Another consolation for the unseeded Janowicz's runner-up finish was a cheque for 234,865 euros ($301,700).

"I have just become a top-30 player so I think I will not have to worry any more about money and I will have good opportunities to fight for an even better ranking," he told a news conference.

"I'm going to be seeded in Australia, that is a huge help. In the small ATP tournaments sometimes I will have a bye in the first round.

"This is a good opportunity to work even harder and to fight for everything. Maybe one day I will become a top‑10 player in the world."

Janowicz beat five top-20 players this week including U.S. Open and Olympic champion Andy Murray.

"At the beginning of this year my goal was to be in the top 100 and suddenly I am in the top 30," he said.