Tennis Europe Junior Tour

Great Britain (boys) and Czechia (girls) are this year’s 12&U Summer Cups by Dunlop champions, with wins over hosts France and Italy respectively.

The European junior outdoor team championships have been held since 2007 for this age group, and this year marks the fourth title for the Czech girls. In contrast, this is the first time ever that Team GB stands on the podium as champions - in either the boys’ or girls’ events.

• The British boys made their only previous finals appearance in 2011, finishing as runners-up
• Czechia previously won the girls’ events in 2021, 2017 and 2017 and were twice runners up in 2011-12
• The British team of Kai Max Hodkinson, Tomas Gabor and Cameron Rae also won the Winter Cups – Europe’s indoor team event - in February. 
• The Czech girls also won the Winter Cups, with Nicole Kurylova and Tereza Vychodilova featuring in both competitions.
• Impressively, the French boys have now made it to four out of the last five finals - and their third in a row - winning in 2023. Prior to this streak, they were the champions in 2010 and at the inaugural 2007 tournament.

Boys’ Champions: GREAT BRITAIN

Great Britain’s Road to the title:
Qualifying Rounds (Bucharest, ROU)
d. Bosnia & Herzegovina 3-0 | d. Croatia 3-0 | d. Romania 3-0

Final Rounds (Saint-Valery-en-Caux, FRA)
d. Belgium 3-0 | d. Czechia 2-1 | d. Turkiye 3-0

Grand Final: Great Britain d. France 3-0

Undefeated in all ties throughout the entire competition, Team GB came into the final riding a wave of confidence. Tomas Gabor started strong against Anatole Lacomte taking the first set comfortably before being pushed to a breaker in the second. Quashing any doubt of a French resistance, Gabor was unyielding, winning seven consecutive points to love to close out a 6-3 7-6(0) win.

Kai Max Hodkinson has been one of the standout players on the 12&U Tour this season, and was in top form for the second match. He had the match under control from the start and was simply too strong for his opponent Thiago Carmasol taking the match 6-0 6-0.

The same scoreline in the doubles had the locals aghast, as the Brits doubled down, with Hodkinson & Cameron Rae posting a second double-bagel, this time over Carmasol & Raphael Boulme. The win capped off a triumphant run for the Brits, earning them an emphatic first-ever win in this competition.

Girls’ Champions: CZECHIA

Czechia’s Road to the title

Qualifying Rounds (Rakovnik, CZE)
d. Ukraine 2-1 | d. Netherlands 3-0 | d. Belgium 3-0 | d. Moldova 3-0

Final Rounds (Ajaccio, FRA)
d. Croatia 3-0 | d. France 3-0 | d. Turkiye 3-0

Grand Final: Czechia def Italy 3-0

As with the British boys, the Czech girls were undefeated in all their ties and lost only one rubber in all their encounters this campaign. Tereza Vychodilova saw off Carlotta Arginelli 6-2 6-0 as the Czechs hit the ground running.

Nicole Kurylova, with three TEJT singles finals and two titles under her belt already this season, kept the momentum going for the Czechs. She posted a 6-4 6-3 win over Sofia Foggia.

In a repeat of the same 6-4 -6-3 scoreline, Kurylova teamed with Vanessa Balej to defeat Arginelli & Rebecca Carla Francia in the dead doubles rubber to bring home a resounding 3-0 victory for the Czechs.

FINAL STANDINGS:

BOYS:

1. Great Britain
2. France
3. Czechia
4. Poland
5. Belgium
6. Italy
7. Turkiye
8. Sweden

 

GIRLS:

1. Czechia
2. Italy
3. Ukraine
4. France
5. Croatia
6. Romania
7. Spain
8. Turkiye