In another busy week of Junior Tour action, several players went from strength to strength. Here's our round-up of the week's action, starting with the sole Category 1 event of the week:
14&U | BULGARIA CUP 4/AVENUE CUP 2021 (Burgas, BUL)
Last week’s winner of the Belglobal Cup in Minsk and top seed, Timofei Derepasko (RUS), was making great strides in this tournament until he ran into a roadblock by the name of Alexander Vasilev. The Bulgarian fifth seed pipped the favorite to the post in an enthralling third set tiebreak. Currently sitting at number nine in the race, Serbian Ognjen Milic (pictured) was a force to be reckoned with as he progressed unhindered to the final without dropping a set. He had his work cut out for him in the final against Vasilev though. After coming back from a first set deficit, the Serb clawed back for a gutsy win to take the match and his first Category 1 title, 5-7 6-2 6-4. Look out for big moves from all three players as the race rankings are updated on Tuesday.
Mathilde Ngijol Carre (FRA), the top seeded girl and the winner of last week’s Category 1 tournament in Piestany, was on track for a second straight finals appearance, ploughing through her opponents in the early rounds. She too was eventually halted in the semi-finals by an inspired Eva Maria Ionescu, also in a third set tiebreak. The Romanian went on to beat fourth-seeded Ukrainian Maria Drobysheva 7-5 6-3 to claim her first title of 2021, having previously managed a runner-up berth at the Sould Cup in Istanbul.
Boys’ doubles champions: Timofei Derepasko (RUS) & Egor Pleshivtsev (RUS)
Girls’ doubles champions: Alexandra Irina Anghel (ROU) & Vladlena Martyunina (RUS)
Category 2
14&U | GRAWE OPEN (Maribor, SLO)
Dutch boy Thijs Boogaard has had a productive few weeks. Having finished as runner-up in singles and doubles champion in Croatia three weeks ago, he won singles at last week’s Bergantov Memorial (also in Maribor) and this week went one better, winning both singles and doubles. In the singles final, he beat current Race leader Egor Gorin (RUS), who was playing in his seventh final of the year, in a 7-5 6-1 duel. Girls’ champion Alena Kovackova (CZE) also did the double, and also won her second title in as many weeks, beating Leonie Rabl (AUT) 6-2 6-3 in the singles final.
Boys’ doubles champions: Thijs Boogaard (NED) & Tibo Meermans (BEL)
Girls’ doubles champions: Sarah Melany Fajmonova (CZE) & Alena Kovackova (CZE)
14&U | ESTONIAN JUNIOR OPEN (Tartu, EST)
Romain Andres (FRA) beat Balthazar Huss (GER) 6-3 6-0 in the boys’ final, while Adelina Lachinova (LAT) was too strong for her compatriot Odeta Panasa, winning the girls’ singles just as convincingly 6-3 6-1. There was to be some consolation for the singles runners-up, both of whom claimed victory in the doubles:
Boys’ doubles champions: Balthazar Huss (GER) & Niels McDonald (GER)
Girls’ doubles champions: Marija Lauva (LAT) & Odeta Panasa (LAT)
16&U | BERGANTOV MEMORIAL (Maribor, SLO)
Title defences are a rare occurrence on the Tennis Europe Junior Tour, but Sebastian Sorger (AUT) managed to secure the feat with an impressive win in Maribor. The third seed beat second seeded local Ziga Svec 6-4 4-6 6-4 in the deciding match. Meanwhile the girls’ singles champion also posted her first tournament win of the year. In the final, Italian Greta Greco Lucchina beat Czech Marie Slamenikova 6-3 6-2
Boys’ doubles champions: Tomasz Berkieta (POL) & Ziga Svec (SLO)
Girls’ doubles champions: Sasa Felixova (SVK) & Amy Sucha (CZE)
16&U | ZABRZE CUP 2021 (Zabrze, POL)
In Zabrze, there was a maiden title for Flynn Tjark Baumert (GER), who won a tough battle in the final to fend off local favourite Piotr Czaczkowski 3-6 6-3 7-5. Karolina Krajmer (SVK) won the girls’ singles final over compatriot Natalia Koppova in a walkover.
Boys’ doubles champions: Nikodem Barcik (POL) & Gabriel Wojcicki (POL)
Girls’ doubles champions: Karolina Krajmer (SVK) & Martyna Mackiewicz (POL)
For full results from this past week, click here.
11 Junior Tour events are set to take place this week, highlighted by the Category 1 Dr. Oetker Junior Trophy in Bucharest, Romania. For all the latest draws and results, click here.