Czech Jonas Forejtek and Clara Tauson of Denmark have claimed the European 18 & Under Championship singles titles as a memorable week in the picturesque Swiss town of Klosters ended with two spectacular finals.
Adhering to the motto "save the best for last", Adrian Andreev and Jonas Forejtek battled for almost three hours in the gruelling sun for the most coveted continental prize in junior tennis. It was clear that neither player would give in, having both already staged impressive comebacks in their semi-finals. Their previous match - in May in France - had ended in a final set tiebreaker, an indication of the drama that was to come.
Throughout the early stages, the Bulgarian Andreev held a slight advantage and even got as far as match point in the second set tiebreak. Forejtek however saved it with a courageous dropshot and from then on gained momentum as he powered through the final set to seal a 6-7(1) 7-6(6) 6-3 win. “I am very happy to have won this title, I didn’t have too many expectations when I got here”, the Czech said in the on-court interview.
It was a successful end to his first week of collaboration with Jiri Novak. The former Top 5 player, who now is in charge of the Czech boys, can be described as ‘Mr. Switzerland’. Three of his seven professional titles were won in Gstaad and Basel, and now he can add another Swiss achievement to his resume.
In the girls draw top-seeded 15-year old Clara Tauson lived up to her reputation. She was most of the time in charge of the match against the crafty Maja Chwalinska, who had been forced to expend lots of energy in some lengthy battles the previous days. Tauson was especially effective when attacking the second serve of the Polish lefthander and eased comfortably to the title with a 6-3 6-3 win. She becomes the first Dane to win in Klosters since Eva Dyrberg back in 1998. For her part, Chwalinksa had been hoping for a unique fourth European Junior Championship title in successive years, having won the 14 & Under doubles title in 2015, the 16 & Under doubles title in 2016, and the 16 & Under singles title last year.
On Saturday, the doubles titles were won by Filip Cristian Jianu & Stefan Palosi of Romania, who defeated Erik Grevelius & Gustaf Strom of Sweden, while in the girls’ event Italians Elisabetta Cocciaretto & Federica Rossi came back from a set deficit to beat another Romanian pair; Selma Stefania Cadar & Andreea Prisacariu.
Sunday’s victories for Tauson and Forejtek drew to a close the 22nd edition of the event in Klosters, where the contract has been extended up until 2022. “We are looking forward to more great years of tennis in the mountains”, said tournament director Hans Markutt.
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