Lyoma Hotelier from Japan and Anna Kapanadze of the United States are this year’s champions at the Category 1 Lexus Junior International in Bolton, Great Britain, with the Junior Tour has swinging back into action at its first big tournament of the season.
Living up to its name the Lexus Junior International has now crowned two non-European champions while showcasing a myriad of new names who we look forward to seeing more from as the season progresses.
BOYS’ FINAL
Lyoma Hotelier (JPN) def Frederick Fabricius (GBR) 6-7 7-6 6-2
In a tournament of upsets, the local wildcard Caleb Griffith took out the top seed Anastasis Mosaikos (CYP) in the second round, while the second seed Valentijn Roodenburg (NED) suffered in the same fate, also falling in the R32.
The tournament however, belonged to the Japanese player who advanced to the final without dropping a set. In the decider, he clawed his way back from a one set deficit to take the title in three tough sets.
Hotelier spoke after coming back from match-point down in the final, as he “never gave up until the very end. It was a tough match but I’m so happy, and now it’s straight into the next tournament!”
GIRLS’ FINAL
Anna Kapanadze (USA) def Isha Manchala (USA) 7-5 1-6 6-4
The upsets kept coming in the girls’ draws with the number one seeded Romanian Eva Maria Bulai falling in the R16 to April Sackflame (GBR).
Kapanadze’s run to the final was fraught with a little more danger than the boys’ champ. Two tough three-setters on the way to the decider put her in good stead for the fight put up by her compatriot in the final. In the end Kapanadze claimed her third three-set win in the final.
Post-match the champion looked back over the final, “Overall it was a good match and I think my opponent is a good competitor. I’m glad I bounced back in the third after losing the second set!”
DOUBLES
Boy’s Doubles Champions: Frederick Fabricius (GBR) & Oskar Laskowski (GBR)
Girl’s Doubles Champions: Eva Maria Bulai (ROU) & Isabella Rebel (GBR)
In recent years the LTA and Tennis Europe have collaborated with Communications students from Salford University who now play a vital role in the media coverage from the tournament. This year Daniel Giles, a second-year broadcast journalism student, reflected on his week in Bolton, saying it “Has been as eye-opening as it has been exiting. For someone who has played tennis all his life and been a qualified coach for 6 years, being a part of this community was amazing.”
His Salford Uni peer, Rose Courteen, covered the on-site player interviews and stated that while working in Bolton it “has been incredible to see such talent from all the players at such a young age. There were many three set matches which shows how much grit and determination they all possess. Personally, I feel that getting to work at an event like this is so mutually beneficial, for both the players and me, as we are at the start of our respective careers and learning and developing together.”
The tournament first started in 1995 and was originally known as “Teen Tennis”. Since then the event has grown in leaps and bounds, changing names a couple of times to its current iteration and has played host to many well-known names: Thanassi Kokkinakis (AUS) 2010 doubles runner-up; Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) 2011 singles runner-up; Alexander Zverev (GER) & Andrey Rublev 2011 doubles runners-up; Frances Tiafoe (USA) 2012 singles champion; Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) 2014 singles semi-finalist; Qinwen Zheng (CHN) 2016 singles runner-up; Coco Gauff (USA) 2017; Victoria Mboko (CAN) 2019 singles champion.