Last week was a busy time on the Tennis Europe Junior Tour, with the Winter Cups by HEAD reaching their conclusion alongside regular Tour events in Denmark, Switzerland and Lithuania.
The Category 2 Stork International Trophy in Oetwil, Switzerland, boasted a number of the Tour’s most promising players, with top ten players advancing to both boys and girls finals. Sergio Bucur of Romania won the boy’s event. Playing his second final of the season, he overcame the challenge of wild card Mario Osmakcic 6-3 6-3 to score his third Tennis Europe Junior Tour 14 & Under title.
The girls’ final was a cliffhanger, with Russia’s Yulia Bryzgalova snatching victory from the jaws of defeat with a comeback 2-6 7-6(4) 6-0 win over European #10 Valenti Grammatikopoulou. Bryzgalova rockets 20 places to #31 in the new rankings as a result.
The doubles titles went to German fourth seeds Lukas Moenter and Samuel Sippel and second seeds Aleksandra Buchla (POL) & Mirabelle Njoze (GBR).
Farum was the location of the Category 3 Eurolite Dispuk event, held simultaneously for players aged 14 and 16 & Under.
Home players excelled in the 14 & Under event, as top seeded Benjamin Hannestad fought back from a set down to beat Swedish qualifier Carl Soderlund for the boys’ title 3-6 6-3 6-1, a day after the pair teamed up to take the doubles crown. Emilie Francati was another double winner, teaming with Emma Roenholt for the doubles title and upsetting second seed Ekaterina Alay (RUS) 6-3 6-3 for the girls title.
The boys 16 & Under title went to Daniel Czepeielewski, a 3-6 6-4 6-4 winner over third seed Vasilios Stavropoulos. Janina Braun, a winner in Otocec last year, won her first 16 & Under title with a 6-4 6-3 victory over Turkish qualifier Muge Topsel. The doubles crowns went British top seeds Julian Cash & Christopher Egan Morriss and the German/Turkish pair Lisa Ponomar & Ege Tomey.
In Siauliai, Lithuania, the Category 2 Toyota Cup saw Arkadijs Slobodkins (LAT) win his first 16 & Under title, thanks to a 6-2 6-2 win over second seeded Russian Nikita Lis. Slobodkins earlier teamed up with compatriot Mikus losbergs for a memorable 1-6 6-2 12-10 win over European 14 & Under doubles champion Kamil Majchrzak and Polish compatriot Jan Zielinski.
The girls’ final was an all-Russian encounter, with top seed Alina Silich blasting past Viktoriya Yankovskaya for the loss of just three games to win her second consecutive title. The doubles crown went to Elena Golovnyova (BLR) & Hanna Karczewska (POL).
The efforts of players in recent weeks have had a drastic effect on the latest rankings. Maximilian Marterer of Germany (pictured) becomes the new 16 & Under European #1, having anchored his team to a third-place finish at the Tennis Europe Winter Cups by HEAD. The victorious British team sees two of their players (Billy Harris and Christopher Pearce) shoot into the Top 20.
Barbora Krejcikova of Czech Republic rises to #7 as a result of their 16&U title defence, one spot ahead of team-mate Petra Rohanova. Meanwhile, in the Under 14 list, the three winning Russian team members all climb into the top five, with Anastasiya Rychagova, Anastasiya Komardina and Veronika Kudermetova at #2, #3 and #5 respectively.
For a full look at the latest rankings, click here.