PARIS -- American Brian Baker seemed on the verge of a breakthrough but never found the right rhythm.

	Baker

Baker, a loser in the French Open boys' singles final to Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 on Sunday, must comfort himself with these facts:

Albert Costa lost in the boys' final in 1993 -- and eventually won the 2002 French Open men's championship. Juan Carlos Ferrero lost the boys' final to Fernando Gonzalez in 1998 -- and on Sunday became the newest French Open champion.

It's a path Baker, 18, would one day hopes to take.

"I never played on red clay before," Baker said. "It's disappointing I didn't win once I got to the final, but when I look back I'll say it was a great tournament."

Baker had a break point against Wawrinka in the fifth game, but a massive forehand erased it. Rain then sent both players to the locker room.

Ninety minutes later, a more composed Wawrinka held serve and, later, broke Baker when he was serving to reach a tiebreaker. Two unforced errors and a crippling double fault gave Wawrinka three set points. He converted the second when Baker pulled a backhand long.

In the end, Baker wasn't as strong as Wawrinka, whose serve and backhand -- when they landed inside the lines -- were overpowering.

"He's a streaky player," said Baker, who beat Wawrinka last year. "He goes for big shots and he hits a lot of winners. He misses a lot, too. His style made me uncomfortable."

Fitness and strength are issues Baker identified as areas for improvement as he prepares to turn professional, with a decision on his career plans expected next week. He said he would play Wimbledon and, probably, the U.S. Open as a junior.

Greg Garber is a senior writer for ESPN.com.