The Tennis Europe Junior Tour swung back into action last week following the Christmas break, with two 14 & Under events and one 16 & Under event held.
The biggest tournament of the week in terms of ranking points was the Category 2 16 & Under 13th Tennisline Cup in Milovice, Czech Republic, where Italian players walked away with three of the four titles. Seventh seed Andrea Pellegrino had a particularly impressive week, scoring straight set wins over top seed Daniel Orlita (CZE) in the semi finals and second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) in the final to take the boys title. He then teamed up with compatriot Julian Ocleppo to take the doubles title. The wins represent a first 16 & Under title for Pellegrino (and a third doubles title), while Ocleppo won a match in the singles main draw after qualifying, and secured his first doubles title since Copenhagen last May.
The girls title went to another Italian, Verena Hofer. Having survived a tricky first round match against Lucie Kankova (CZE) 6-2 4-6 6-2, Hofer lost just 14 games in her next four matches, including a 6-3 6-0 dismissal of top seed Anastasia Zarytska (UKR) in the quarter finals and a 6-3 6-2 win over home favourite Marketa Vondrousova in the final. There was consolation in the doubles event for Vondrousova, who teamed with Czech compatriot Anna Slovakova to take the title; their second consecutive tournament win together.
Two 14 & Under events were held, the Category 2 Christmas Cup in Mytischi (RUS), and the Category 3 Toyota Cup in Siauliai (LTU). Last year the events were held in successive weeks, but on this occasion we saw some of last year’s Siauliai finalists playing in Mytischi. Amongst them was Anna Ureke (RUS). Last year’s Siauliai runner-up once again made the podium, this time as runner-up in Mytischi, where she was beaten to the title by Evgeniya Levashova. Levashova (pictured at the Kremlin Cup last month) also teamed up with Amina Anshba, who last year won the title in Siauliai, to claim the doubles crown. The boys events in Mytischi also had all-Russian finals, with second seed Philipp Klimov taking out Mikhail Sokolovskiy for the singles, while Alen Avidzba & Nikolay Vylegzhanin resumed the partnership that brought both 12 & Under team competition titles to Russia in 2012, as well as a host of other wins, to claim the doubles.
Over in Siauliai, Britain’s Will Davies had a surprisingly easy run to the boys’ title, dropping just seventeen games in five matches (including a 6-2 6-0 win over top seed Anatolii Rainin and a 6-1 6-3 victory over second seed Pavel Shumeiko in the final) to secure his second Tennis Europe Junior Tour title. Fourth-seeded Estonians Henri Nael & Siim Troost took the doubles title over home team Martynas Jurkonis & Simonas Zukauskas.
An upset-strewn girls’ draw saw unseeded Daria Orichkevitch (UKR) cap a fine week to beat Latvia’s Deniza Marcinkevica 6-2 6-2 in her first Tour final. Earlier in the day, Orichkevitch had teamed up with compatriot Angelina Shakhraychuk to take the doubles crown, their second title together having also won in Kiev last September.
This week sees the first Category 1 event of the year as the top players gather in Bolton (GBR) for the 14 & Under Teen Tennis tournament. Other 14 & Under events take place in Narva (EST) and Milovice (CZE), while it’s a busy week for 12 & under players with regular Tour events in Vänersborg (SWE) and Himki (RUS) ahead of next week’s Tennis Europe Winter Cups by HEAD 12 & Under qualifying rounds. Keep up with all the latest draws and results here.