Andrey Rublev of Russia put some distance between himself and the rest of the field by scooping singles and doubles titles at the week’s biggest event, the Category 1 PSS Piestany Cup in Slovakia. The European #1, runner up in Rakovnik eight days ago, fought through several tough matches to set up a final with David Volfson of Canada. The pair had already met in the doubles, where Rublev and Alexander Zverev (GER) had ended Volfson and Polish partner Hubert Hurkacz’s run with a marathon semi final win. The singles final followed the same pattern, with Rublev winning the first set comfortably before Volfson levelled the match. The Russian held his nerve in a tight decider to win 6-2 4-6 7-5, earning his third title of the season. The #1 has established a match record of 35-6 so far in 2011, and now holds seven singles titles.
The girls’ event also featured a double winner as Helen Ploskina (UKR) wrapped up her biggest wins on the Tennis Europe Junior Tour so far, taking the singles title with a 6-0 6-3 win over Katarina Jokic (BIH) and teaming with Ana Konjuh (CRO) for the doubles. Ploskina now has an 11-match win streak on the Tour, having won two of the three events she has entered this season, and is set to break into the Top 5 for the first time as a result.
For a second week running, the Slovenian town of Maribor hosted a Category 2 combined 14/16 & Under tournament, the Bergant Memorial. Once again, the girls’ 14&U final featured local players Nina Potocnik and Manca Pislak. Pislak had conceded just two games in winning last week’s title, and got off to another flying start, taking the first set 6-1. Potocnik gradually worked her way into the match this time though, taking the second set 6-4 and controlling the third to turn the tables on her compatriot and earn her second Tennis Europe Junior Tour title. The girls’ doubles went to Hungarian pair Dalma Galfi & Barbara Kovacs.
There was double joy in the boys’ event for Benjamin Hannestad of Denmark, who captured his fourth singles crown of the season with victory over Lucas Taylor (GBR) a day after winning his fifth doubles title, alongside Carl Soderlund of Sweden. The consistent Hannestad has won 26 of his 30 singles matches in 2011, and is likely to break into the Top 10 this week.
Matic Spec scored a home win in the boys’ 16 & Under event, holding on for a 6-2 7-6(1) win over Italy’s Giovanni Grieco in what was a first Tour final for both players. Philipp Moritz & Christian Russinov (AUT) also won their first title in the doubles event. The girls’ trophies ended up in more experienced hands, as Jana Jablonovska (SVK) won her third 16 & Under title in singles, beating Nina Stadler (SUI), and a seventh doubles title overall, alongside Anna Vrbenska (CZE).
The 14 & Under Sport Palace Cup, a Category 3 tournament in Svilengrad, Bulgaria, saw one of the most decisive wins of the season, as Nicolae Frunza raced to the title for the loss of just five games in as many matches. The Romanian is ranked on the edge of the Top 10, and blasted past unseeded final opponent Ivo Karamanski (BUL) to secure his first tour win, also adding the doubles title alongside compatriot Mihnea Bara. Romanians also took the girls’ doubles, with a win for Ylona-Georgiana Ghioroaie & Elena Gabriela Ruse. Radina Dimitrova boosted home pride by taking the girls’ singles. A Bulgarian winner was already guaranteed, as she faced compatriot Viktoria Bardarova in the decider.
Ukraine’s Pylyp Kekercheni and Kateryna Sliusar obviously enjoy playing at home, with both players winning 16 & Under titles for a second consecutive week, this time at the Artek-Babolat Cup in Simferopol. Both finals were all-Ukrainian affairs, with Kekercheni beating second seed Olexiy Kolisnyk, and Sliusar ousting Olga Fridman, both in straight sets. Kolisnyk won the doubles with Daniil Domninskiy, while the girls doubles went to first-time pairing Anna Mykytas & Anastasia Prokopenko.
12 & Under
Last week also saw four 12 & Under events held. Edris Fetisleam continued his good run of form, following up his Rome title two weeks ago with a victory on home soil at the Arian Nicoll Glass Cup in Pitesti, Romania, while compatriot Andreea Amalia Rosca also reached her second final in as many weeks to take the girls’ crown.
Artem Dubrivnyy (RUS) continues to demonstrate that he is a name to watch, having won his third title of the season. Victory came this time at the Kravchenko Cup in Bucha, Ukraine, and leaves him with an 18-1 win loss record on the 12 & Under circuit in 2011. In the girls’ event, Daria Orichkevitch (UKR) won her second title.
Home players Miomir Kecmanovic and Mia Mijatovic won the Nestle Ice Cream Serbia Open in Prokuplje, and there were also home wins at the Gold Reserve in Dmitrov, Russia, where Mikhail Sokolovskiy took the boys title and Sofya Zhuk stretched her winning streak to an impressive 16 matches in winning her third title of the season.
There are nine events in eight countries this week, as the Tour calls in on Israel, Italy, Moldova, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine. All the latest draws and results can found here.