As the date fast approaches for our biggest event of the year, some big names are coming into form just in time for the European Junior Championships, which start on Monday. This week’s big winners at the Category One event in France were Laura Samsonova (CZE) and Federico Cina (ITA). Last week’s biggest mover in the top 50, the Czech player has now captured back-to-back Category One wins on French soil, while the Italian number one is riding high on his own unbeaten 16-match winning streak at the moment. He won the Category One event in Irpin, Ukraine, before leading Italy to glory at the Summer Cups two weeks ago.
CATEGORY 1 - 14 & Under
La Balle Mimosa Loire Atlantique | La Baule, France
Going into the #EJCtennis21, the champions of this tournament are definitely two players to watch. Cina was in scintillating form, as he charged through the draw keeping a clean sheet. A tight first set against the 13th seed, Sebastian Chodura (CZE) in the R16 made him even more resolute in his next match against fifth seed Oskari Paldanius (FIN), who he swept aside for the loss of just five games. Another straight set win over compatriot Alessandro Mondazzi in the semis sealed his spot in the final. In the other half of the draw, top seeded Russian Egor Gorin was sent home at the quarterfinal stage by tenth seeded Italian, Andrea De Marchi, who was in turn halted in the semis by compatriot Jacopo Vasami. In the all-Italian final, Cina was not to be denied, and was ruthless in dismissing his Summer Cups team-mate 6-3 6-1 for his second singles title of the year.
Girls’ top seed Laima Vladson lost out to sixth seed Mika Buchnik from Israel in an extremely tight and arduous quarterfinal. Both players pushed each other to the absolute limit, as the 7-5 6-7(6) 7-6(5) scoreline demonstrates. This did not hinder the Israeli as she again won another tough three-set match against Swedish twelfth seed Nellie Taraba Wallberg to qualify for her fourth final of the year, and first outside her home nation. Meanwhile in the other half of the draw the in-form Samsonova with in dazzling form on route to the final. Her brilliance included straight-set wins over second seeded Romanian Anamaria Federica Oana in the quarterfinals, which she backed up with another strong win over the fourth seed Zara Darken from Kazakhstan in the semis. In the final, the dominant Czech brought too much to the court and outdid a depleted Buchnik to win the final 6-3 6-2. Though not due to play at the European Championships, she looks set to make another significant rise when the Race to Monte-Carlo rankings are updated on Tuesday. | Gallery
Boys’ doubles champions: Federico Cina (ITA) & Andrea De Marchi (ITA)
Girls’ doubles champions: Emilia Michta (POL) & Nellie Taraba Wallberg (SWE)
CATEGORY 2 - 16 & Under
Arges Cup | Curtea de Arges, Romania
In a predominantly Romanian field, all the winners hailed from the host nation. Calin Teodor Stirbu defeated David Alexandru Gheorghe 6-1 6-3 in the boys’ final, while Eva Maria Ionescu beat the only-non Romanian finalist of the weekend, outplaying Israel’s Sapir Cohen 6-1 6-4 to take the girls' crown.
Boys’ doubles champions: David Alexandru Gheorghe & Cristian Marton (ROU)
Girls’ doubles champions: Alexandra Irina Anghel & Iris Zbranca (ROU)
Dema Cup | Sofia, Bulgaria
Local players were the victors at this event too, with Anas Mazdrashki winning the boys’ title, and Maya Alexandrova the girls’. They beat Georgi Georgiev (BUL) and Monika Stankiewicz (POL) in their respective finals.
Boys’ doubles champions: Diego Fernandez Da Silva (POR) & Nikola Jovic (SRB)
Girls’ doubles champions: Nastasija Nesterovic (GER) & Anna Petkovic (GER)
Meggi Care Cup | Minsk, Belarus
Second Seed Victor Kuznetsov (RUS) upset local hope and top seed Tikhon Fedorov in the boys’ final. In an all-Russian girls’ final, the result mirrored that of the boys’ final where the second seed also upset the top seed, as Maria Sysoeva got the better of Mariia Masiianskaia.
Boys’ doubles champions: Marjan Drazdovich (BLR) & Daniil Stepanvov (RUS)
Girls’ doubles champions: Daria Bochkova (RUS) & Sofya Gapankova (BLR)
Jufa 2021 Europe Junior Tour | Furstenfeld, Austria - 14 & Under
Martin Doskocil & Eliska Forejtkova won in both the singles and doubles events in an extremely fruitful roadtrip across the border for the Czech players. Doskocil defeated Andreas Messis (GRE) in the boys’ final, while Forejtkova beat her doubles partner Nela Linhartova (CZE) in the girls’ singles final.
Boys’ doubles champions: Martin Doskocil (CZE) & Stepan Sklenicka (CZE)
Girls’ doubles champions: Eliska Forejtkova (CZE) & Nela Linhartova (CZE)
A total of 15 events were held across the three age categories of the Tennis Europe Junior Tour in Week 28: for full results from all tournaments, click here.