Thousand Oaks’ Claire Liu wins Wimbledon girls’ singles title

Somebody from Southern California is going to bring a Wimbledon singles title home after all.

Claire Liu of Thousand Oaks beat fellow American Ann Li 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 in the girls’ singles championship match Saturday at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.

It was the first time in 25 years the female junior champion is from the United States.

Liu and Li, who is from Devon, Pa., were two of the five Americans in the quarterfinals.

A pair of Southern California natives lost on bigger stages, with Venus Williams, who grew up in Compton, losing in the women’s final Saturday to Garbine Muguruza, and Sam Querrey, also from Thousand Oaks, losing Friday in a men’s semifinal to Marin Cilic.

Liu, 17, was seeded third at Wimbledon after finishing as the runner-up in the French Open juniors.

“Being able to play both the French Open and Wimbledon finals is definitely an accomplishment I think already, win or lose,” she said. “I think being able to get this match is really, really sweet.”

Of winning at Wimbledon, Liu said: “It feels amazing. I’m literally so speechless. I just keep smiling all the time. I still can’t even believe it. I mean, it’s like a dream come true.”