France and Czechia have won the boys’ and girls’ 14&U Winter Cups by Dunlop titles. While the French boys haven't claimed the gold since 2019, the Czech girls celebrate their third consecutive victory on home soil.
GIRLS' FINAL
Czechia def Germany 2-1
Czechia’s road to the final
Zone A Qualifying Rounds: R1 def Hungary 3-0; R2 def Slovenia 3-0; Qualifying final: def Türkiye 2-1
Final Rounds: QF def Romania 2-1; SF def Ukraine 2-1
Germany’s road to the final
Zone C Qualifying Rounds: R1 def Norway 3-0; R2 def Great Britain 3-0; Qualifying final: def Ukraine 2-1
Final Rounds: QF def Spain 2-1; SF def Latvia 3-0
The final featured a showdown between the defending champions and the home team, Czechia, against Germany, at their first final since 1992. Katerina Zajickova (CZE) promptly secured an advantage for her team winning 6-1 6-2 against Sophie Triquart (GER). Meanwhile, her compatriot Jana Kovackova (CZE), the 2023 Junior Masters champion, didn’t have her best day facing Ida Wobker (GER) who won 6-4 6-2 and levelled the tie. The doubles match ultimately decided the gold medalists, with Kovackova and Zajickova teaming up against Wobker and Triquart, resulting in Czechia's victory for the third consecutive time after a 6-3 7-6 win.
Final Standings
1. Czechia 2. Germany 3. Latvia 4. Ukraine 5. Austria 6. Türkiye 7. Romania 8. Spain
BOYS' FINAL
France def Great Britain 2-1
France’s road to the final
Zone B Qualifying Rounds: R1 def Belgium 3-0; R2 def Serbia 3-0; Qualifying final: def Great Britain 2-1
Final Rounds: QF def Germany 2-1; SF def Finland 2-1
Great Britain’s road to the final
Zone B Qualifying Rounds: R1 bye; R2 def Portugal 3-0; Qualifying final: lost to France 1-2
Final Rounds: QF def Romania 2-1; SF def Slovakia 3-0
Two aspects of the boys’ final promised intriguing and competitive matches from the start: both teams featured two players ranked high in the 14&U Race to Monte-Carlo Rankings, and the teams had already played against each other in the final of the Qualifying Rounds.
Scott Watson (GBR) wasn't able to score a win against Quentin Dodin (FRA) during the qualifying rounds, yet today he breezed through the match to secure a 6-2 6-3 victory. However, his compatriot Niall Pickerd-Barua, the current leader of the Race Rankings, spent nearly two and a half hours striving for a win before falling to Pablo Pradat (FRA) in three sets. Following a short break, Dodin returned to the court with Rafael Thao-Keuang, while Watson teamed up with Eric Lorimer. The Brits gave their best effort to defend their 2023 title, yet Dodin and Thao-Keuang earned a place for France on the Rolls of Honor as the winners, winning 6-4 0-6 10-5.
Final Standings
1. France 2. Great Britain 3. Finland 4. Slovakia 5. Netherlands 6. Romania 7. Germany 8. Hungary