Tennis Europe Junior Tour

Kovackova & Derepasko extend unbeaten runs

Kovackova & Derepasko extend unbeaten runs

Alena Kovackova and Timofei Derepasko underlined their status as the 16 & Under players to watch, wrapping up Category 1 singles and doubles titles for a second straight week, this time at the Emilio Sanchez Academy Youth Cup near Barcelona.

While former Junior Tour and now WTA #1 Iga Swiatek was completing the famous 'Sunshine Double' of back-to-back victories in Indian Wells and Miami, the two young talents did their best to emulate her, and are now unbeaten on clay in 2021 after two top tier events played in unseasonably cold and challenging conditions.

During the course of the week there were some very intense battles on court, highlighted by the quarterfinal encounter in which Emily Sartz-Lunde (NOR) outdid Torelló semi-finalist Carlota Garcia Alonso (ESP) in a come-from-behind three set win, before going on to take out second seed Artemis Aslanisvili in the semis. The Greek player, a Monte-Carlo Junior Masters qualifier in 2021, breezed through the early rounds, but was taken out in the semis by the Norwegian in straight sets, though the scoreline was not indicative of the tussle.

Other notable results include those of Angelica Sara (ITA) and Veronika Sekerkova (CZE), both of whom played at the Tennis Europe 12&U Festival last November. They both showed excellent progression, advancing to the second round and semifinals respectively of this top tier 16 & Under event. In the boys’ event, Bruno Kokot (POL), made his second straight Category 1 semifinal, falling yet again to the eventual runner-up, this time in the form of Rafael Jodar (ESP). The Spaniard had his own impressive win in round 2, taking out second seed and Race to Monte Carlo leader Nicolai Budkov Kjaer (NOR) in a 2-6 7-6(4) 6-4 battle.

The midweek rain cleared for the semis and finals, however it was replaced by chilly, windy conditions. Derepasko and Kovackova better handled the extreme conditions on the day of the final. So strong was the wind that chairs and other objects were blown across the court, but this did not distract the two champions who were in the zone and had their eyes firmly fixed on the prize. In the girl’s singles final, top-seeded Czech Kovackova needed little over an hour to make light work of Sartz-Lunde, taking the title with a 6-2 6-0 win, a marked contrast to their three-set tussle in Torelló last week. Minutes later, Derepasko clinched his win over Jodar by the same scoreline. Just as they did last week in Torelló, both singles champs had already claimed victory in the doubles, thus giving them the rare bragging rights to being the owners of both singles and doubles trophies in back-to-back Category 1 events. 

Derepasko is now 10/0 in singles and 8/0 in doubles action on the Junior Tour in 2021, while Kovackova’s incredible run sees her improve to 24/1 and 15/2 respectively.

Boys’ Doubles final:

Andrea De Marchi (ITA) & Timofei Derepasko def. Rares Teodor Pieleanu (ROU) & Radu David Turcanu (ROU) 6-2 7-5

Girls’ Doubles final:

Eliska Forejtkova (CZE) & Alena Kovackova (CZE) def. Justine Bretnacher (FRA) & Scarlette Hetherington (FRA) 6-1 7-5

📷 Photo Gallery

For full Junior Tour results from Week 13, click here. Next week sees tournaments held in Albania, Croatia, Latvia, Great Britain and Serbia, and highlighted by the second Super Category 14 & Under event of the year, in Maia, Portugal. Keep up with all the latest on the Junior Tour calendar.

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