North Vancouver’s Filip Peliwo has earned a spot in the junior boys singles final at the Australian Open and will now try to become the first Canadian ever to win a junior Grand Slam title.

Peliwo is set to face Australian Luke Saville on Rod Laver Court on Saturday in Australia which is actually Friday night in British Columbia — the match is scheduled to start at approximately 8 p.m. PST and will be streamed live on the Australian Open website at www.australianopen.com.

Peliwo topped his roommate, American Mackenzie McDonald, 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals on Friday to advance to the championship match.

Peliwo has started his 2012 season in remarkable fashion, winning 11 consecutive matches. The 17-year-old is coming off the biggest victory of his career, a championship win last week at the Traralgon International. Peliwo and Saville met in that final as well with Peliwo winning in three tough sets. After that win Peliwo moved up to No. 7 in the ITF junior rankings.

Peliwo is the first Canadian to make a junior Grand Slam final since fellow North Vancouverite Philip Bester and Ontario’s Peter Polansky both scored runner-up finishes in 2006.

— Andy Prest