Daniel Rincón was a local hero, while Linda Fruhvirtova (CZE) won the girls’ title at the 16 & Under Category 1 XVI Torneig Joan Mir in Torelló, Spain at the weekend. It was a big week on the Tennis Europe Junior Tour, which saw more success for top Czech juniors as Matthew Donald and Agata Cerna held up winners’ trophies on home soil at the 14 & Under Category 1 Bohemia Cafex Cup in Rakovnik.
Category 1
16 & Under
XVI TORNEIG JOAN MIR, Torelló, Spain
The unseeded Portuguese Joao Ferreira blew the top half of the draw wide open after he upset number one seeded Bulgarian Maxim Khorozov 6-3 6-2 in the quarterfinals. Unfortunately his run came to an end in the next round at the hands of the eventual champion, the also-unseeded Daniel Rincon. In the other half of the draw another Spaniard, Oscar Pinto, also made inroads. The sixth seed defeated Portuguese second seed Tiago Torres in the quarters before being taken out by Daniel Linkus Morozovs (LAT) in quick straight sets. Rincon made up for his compatriot’s loss, by defeating the Latvian 6-3 3-6 6-4.
In the girls’ draw, things went slightly more according to plan for the top seeds. Antonia Ruzic (CRO) progressed to the finals without the loss of a set. Her opponent was Czech seventh seed Linda Fruhvirtova, who herself had progressed easily through to the final. Her main scalp along the way was Russian second seed Kira Pavlova in the quarters. She kept that form going and in what was a tight first set, Fruhvirtova eventually got the better of the top seed, taking the final and the title 7-6(5) 6-3.
In the boys’ doubles Khorozov played with Estonian Andre-Remi Jakobi to take out the Portuguese pairing of Ferreira & Torres 6-3 2-6 10-8 in the final. It was somewhat of a revenge victory, avenging his loss to Ferreira in the singles quarterfinals. The girls’ doubles went to Nikol Palecek (SRB) & Pavlova, who this time handed Fruhvirtova and her partner, Maria Michaela Fiacan (SUI), a 6-4 7-5 defeat.
14 & Under
BOHEMIA CAFEX CUP, Rakovnik, Czech Republic
The top seed from Cyprus, Constantinos Koshis, made his way through to the quarterfinals unhindered. He then ran into an inspired Hynek Barton (CZE) who took him out in a tough three set match. Barton overcame the 11th seed Luka Jovanovic in the semi-finals but was not strong enough for compatriot Matthew William Donald in the final. It was still a great tournament for Barton as he also took the doubles title. For his part, Donald had made a relatively easy progression through to the final. His only hiccup came in round 3 when he lost the first set to fellow Czech Jakob Jupa. He came back stronger to defeat Luka Mikrut (CRO) in the quarterfinals and #2 seed Artur Kukasian (RUS) in the semis with ease. The final itself went to three sets as Donald imposed himself over Barton in the first, lost the second in a tiebreaker and, with a break in the third, took the title 6-1 6-7(2) 6-3.
In the girls’ draw, things did not go the way of the top seed Czech Barbora Palicova. She fell in the quarter finals to Kristina Volgapkina from Russia, who would go on to defeat French 11th seed Laia Petretic in the semis before facing another Czech player, this time the fifth seed Agata Cerna, in the finals. Cerna’s route had been straightforward all the way through to the semis. She defeated the second seed Erika Andreeva (RUS) 6-0 6-2 in the quarters and then outdid the third seed Aliona Falei (BLR) in a three-set semi. With two big wins under her belt she went into the final full of confidence. Although she lost a tight 5-7 first set against Volgapkina, she came back strongly to take the next two sets along with the title, with a 5-7 6-1 6-3 victory.
Hynek Barton made up for his singles finals loss with victory in the doubles final with compatriot Oldrich Vejsicky. They won a narrow championship tiebreak win over top seeded Croatians Mikrut & Mili Poljicak 5-7 6-3 10-5. Cerna did manage to secure both titles, claiming the doubles with fellow Czech player Anna Panchartek. Cerna again defeated Falei and her fellow Belorussian Evialina Laskevich 2-6 6-1 10-5 in the final.
Category 2
GRAWE OPEN, Maribor, Slovenia
The Grawe Open kicked off a fortnight of back-to-back Category 2 events for two age groups in Slovenia, followed by this week’s Bergant Memorial.
16 & Under - The boys’ top seed Stefan Popovic (SRB) was upset in the quarterfinals by ninth seeded Swiss Yarin Aebi. He was then immediately taken out by finalist Croatian Fran Mitrovic, who went down 6-1 6-3 against local player Blaz Vidovic in the final. The Slovenian seventh seed duly claimed his maiden Tennis Europe Junior Tour title without losing a set. The girls’ singles draw saw no such upsets, with top seed Tara Wurth of Croatia going through to the final where she overcame Russian second Marta Belokrylova 7-6(4) 6-2.
Sebastian Dominko & Gal Emersic Potocnik of Slovenia were the winners in the boys’ doubles. Wurth made it a clean sweep, teaming with fellow Croatian Mia Rae Vican to win the girls’ doubles.
14 & Under - Top seeded home hope Bor Atnak was defeated in the semi-finals by another Swiss player, Raffaele Mariani, the third seed. In the final however, Belgian 7th seed Noah Merre imposed himself over Mariani with a 6-4 6-1 victory. He can now add this trophy to his cabinet, along to that which he won in Nottingham. The girls’ top seed Nadezda Khalturina (RUS) went through all the way to the semi-finals before being defeated by German Tea Lukic. In the final, Swiss third seed Chelsea Fontenel outplayed her German counterpart with a 6-1 6-1 victory.
It was a good day for Belgian juniors. Gilles Arnaud Bailly & Idriss Haddouch won the boys’ doubles, while their compatriots Chyara Onia Seke & Amelie Van Impe were the girls’ doubles champions.
TENNIS CLUB PAVIA, Pavia, Italy
Niccolo Ciavarella defeated Lorenzo Ferri 6-1 6-1 in an all-Italian boys’ final. Ferri reached both finals, but alongside partner Giammarco Gandolfi fell in the doubles decider 6-4 1-6 10-8 to the French pairing of Cesar Bouchelaghem & Paul Inchauspe.
In another all-Italian final, sixth seed Georgia Pedone swept aside Anna Paradisi 6-2 6-3 to claim the girls’ title. Italians Denise Valente & Emma Valletta were the girls’ doubles champions. Gallery.
You can watch action from the finals in Pavia here.
OPALENICA CUP, Opalenica, Poland
It was another weekend of great results for local players, who featured in all the finals. Top seed Filip Pieczonka was upset in the boys’ final by second seed Maxim Donstov of Russia 6-2 6-4. Marc Majdandzin (GER) & Dominykas Stonkus (LTU) won the boys’ doubles event.
Top girls’ seed Ada Pietrzynska defeated fellow Pole Zuzanna Kubacha 6-3 1-6 6-3 in their final, and also teamed up with compatriot Zuzanna Frankowska to add the doubles title.
For full results in all events and categories here and elsewhere from this past week, please click here, or to view the week's photo galleries, click here.