The Tennis Europe Junior Tour played host to three 14 & Under and one 16 & Under event last week, with British players accounting for a total of five titles.
The most important event of the week in terms of ranking points was the 19th Taça Internacional Maia Jovem in Portugal. The first clay court Category 1 14 & Under tournament of the season featured many of the top players in action. The star of the show in the girls’ competition was Hungary’s Dalma Galfi, who walked away with both singles and doubles titles. On Saturday, she teamed with Tereza Mihailikova of Russia to take the doubles crown over Polina Golubovskaya & Sofya Zhuk (RUS), and the following day she scored a 7-6(4) 6-4 win over 14th seed Cristina Bucsa (MDA) for the singles title. Bucsa – winner of the 16 & Under event in Sanxenxo last summer - had upset top seed Jacqueline Cristian (ROU) and sixth seed Marija Crunic (CRO) on route to the final of just her second event of the season, but the in-form Galfi proved to be a step too far. Galfi goes from strength to strength; she now holds five Tennis Europe Junior Tour titles, and has reached the final of her last three events, winning back-to-back titles, and is set to break into the Top 3 when the rankings are updated.
There was drama in the final of the boys’ event, as Switzerland's Marko Osmakcic - the outstanding player of the first few months of the season – was forced to withdraw in the final set against Gian Marco Moroni (ITA). Osmakcic had looked to be on course for his fourth title of the season after securing the first set 6-2, but won just one more game after that, and retired whilst trailing 2-6 6-0 5-1 to hand 64th-ranked Moroni his first ever Tour title. Moroni had already had an impressive week, dropping just one set on his way to the final, a run which included a 6-0 6-2 win over second seed Alessandro Ricci (CZE).
The boys’ doubles went to British top seeds Jay Clarke & Samuel Ferguson. The Winter Cups-winning duo teamed up again to take the title, though they did not have to take to the court to collect the silverware, as opponents Daniel Bennett (GBR) & Alessandro Ricci conceded a walkover.
The Category 2 Belkanton Cup in Minsk saw some of the most prolific players so far this season consolidate their good form. Playing on indoor carpet, European #4 Vladyslav Chumak (UKR) continued his excellent run in doubles, securing a third consecutive title by teaming up with Maxim Tybar (BLR) for a comeback win over Aliaksandr Liaonenka (BLR) & Anatolii Rainin 3-6 6-3 10-6. The top seed then went on to beat his doubles partner 6-2 6-2 in the singles final.
Third seed Vera Lapko (BLR) outlasted Valeriya Pogrebnyak (RUS) in a marathon 6-2 2-6 7-5 match to take her first title, while Diana Dehterevich (BLR) & Gyulnara Nazarova (UKR) took the doubles title when Nika Skytkouskaya & Anna Skabelka (BLR) were forced to withdraw.
At the hard court Category 2 Morris Goldsmith Tournament in Jerusalem, Israel, Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB, pictured, right) accepted a late wild card into the qualifying competition before going to win the main competition. Seeded second, he went on to beat Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2 6-1 in the final, his seventh match of the week. A winner of four 12 & Under titles last season, Kecmanovic has had a good run of form recently, having also reached the final last week in Tel Aviv.
The girls’ title went to British top seed Anastasia Mikheeva (pictured, left), who ended the hopes of home player Shiran Arol Wiegand, conceding just one game. It’s the second title of 2012 so far for the Scot, who also triumphed in Bleiswijk a fortnight ago.
The doubles events saw wins for Lukas Daels (BEL) & Mathieu Rajaonah (FRA) and Russian pair Amina Anshba & Anjelika Vlasenkova.
16 & Under
Home players excelled at the AEGON Junior International in London. Played on indoor courts at the LTA’s National Tennis Centre, both boys’ and girls’ events saw all-British finals.
Gabriella Taylor was the star of the week, teaming up with Switzerland’s Amanda Schneider to take the doubles title over Jasmine Asghar & Eden Richardson (GBR), before facing Asghar again on the Saturday in the singles final. The final was a see-saw match, eventually won by the top seed 6-4 2-6 6-1 to deny Asghar a first 16 & Under title.
Fifth seed Bjorn Thomson won the boys singles, scoring a 6-3 6-2 win over Christopher Reynolds, who had scored an upset of top seed Daniel Little (GBR) in the semifinals. Both singles champions continue their march up the rankings; Taylor now holds four Tour titles, two at 14 & Under and two at 16 & Under, while the victory is a first 16 & Under win for Thomson, who last year won 14 & Under events in Solihull and Riga.
The boys’ doubles went to Gonzalo Morell Raschiatore of Australia and Antonio Sabugueiro of Portugal, straight set winners over Little and Sam Rice (GBR).
This week marks the start of a busy period on the Tennis Europe Junior Tour, as the arrival of the Easter holidays means a flurry of tournaments. Events this week include Under 12s in Portugal and Lithuania, Under 14s in Greece, Portugal and Belarus, and Under 16s in Croatia and Iceland. You can follow all the latest draws and results here.