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This year’s ITF/Tennis Europe 14 & Under Development Championships have come to another successful conclusion. Players from 10 'Tier 1' developing nations participated in the various events over two weeks at the Club Megasaray, in Antalya, Turkey, which played host for another year.
This year’s big winner was Kerem Genc (TUR) who won the boys’ singles tournament week 1 and then again in week 2 coupled with the doubles trophy. Tea Kovacevic (BIH) and Ayse Bal (TUR) were the week 1 and week 2 girls’ winners.
ITF Development Officer for Europe Vitor Cabral was present all week and noted that “it always very interesting to see the exchange and comradery between teams grow as the days went by and between the players and coaches.” This was clearly on display at the opening ceremony with teams proudly displaying their flags and mingling as well as training with players from other nations throughout the week.
14&U Boys
As mentioned, Genc won both tournaments, mirroring last year’s Championships when another homegrown talent, Kaan Isik Kosaner, scored the double win. In the week 1 final, Genc, the second seed, beat top seeded compatriot Mehmet Toprak Erçin 6-1 6-4 in the final. In the final of the week 2 event, Genc again got the better of Erçin, taking the match 6-0 7-5, and in a further show of domination, the two Turks combined to win the doubles event as well. In week 1, the doubles title went to Marko Aleksovski & Aleksandar Grujic of North Macedonia.
14&U Girls
Bal proved to be a fast learner. While Kovacevic beat her in the week 1 semis before going on to take the title, however in week 2 the roles with reversed, with Bal getting revenge over the Bosnian in the semis before proceeding to take the title.
Kovacevic won the week 1 final 6-1 1-0 (ret) over Sara Mitevska (MKD). In the week 2 final, the North Macedonian was thwarted once more, with Bal taking the decider in a 6-3 1-6 6-2 tussle.
Bal and Kovacevic were on the podium yet again for the doubles. In Week 1 Bal teamed with Ecrin Lal Yavuz for the win, while in week 2 Kovacevic won the trophy with Zana Kunosic.
Other events
- As was the case last year, there was a 12&U training camp run by Cabral in week 1, followed by a tournament for the youngsters in week 2. Honours went to Andrej Temov (MKD) in the boys’ singles and Milena Zanoci (MDA) in the girls’ singles.
- Tennis Europe Development Manager Maciej Szymonski presented a session of the Junior School in the first week, covering various topics including Agents & Sponsorship and Social Media.
Upon the conclusion of the event, Cabral also noted that the 2024 tournaments and training camp were “the smoothest in terms of logistics and organization. It’s a brilliant example of cooperation and experience over the years between ITF and Tennis Europe with the Turkish Tennis Federation and the local organization. I can say that we are all one team in these events. We have seen a lot of good matches during these two weeks.”
Long established as one of Tennis Europe’s flagship development activities, the Championships were devised to provide top-level playing opportunities for the most promising talents from emerging tennis nations in Europe. This year saw participation from players representing Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Moldova, and hosts Türkiye. Former competitors over the years include the likes of Jelena Ostapenko, Simona Halep, Marcos Baghdatis and Grigor Dimitrov.
For full results from the Championships, please click here (Week 1) and here (Week 2). Click here for pictures.
Baranes and Put win Inaugural Helsinki Tournament
It was a story of firsts in Helsinki, which played host to the first-ever TEJT Category 1 tournament in Finland. In another first, Stan Put (NED) has captured his maiden Cat.1 title on the Junior Tour.
He adds this milestone achievement to his four other singles trophies. Keeping a clean sheet all tournament, he took out Race to Monte-Carlo leader Niall Pickerd-Barua (GBR) in the semifinals en route to a win in the final over the German Johann Nagel-Heyer 6-3 6-1.
Meanwhile, Daniel Baranes has gone from strength to strength since winning the 12&U Festival last November. The Israeli also scored a first of her own: a debut 14&U singles win, bringing her singles titles tally on the TEJT to three. In the final, she came from behind to defeat Ukraine’s Daria Bilyk 6-7(6) 6-4 6-1.
Boys’ doubles champs: Kaius Ketola (FIN) & Alex Tuomolin (FIN)
Girls’ doubles champs: Anna Nerelli (ITA) & Arianna Ovarelli (ITA)
Antalya (TUR) | 14&U Cat.2 | ITF/TE Development Championships
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Week 1 of this event featured players from 10 ‘Tier 1’ developing tennis nations and saw local Gerem Genc take the boy’s trophy. Girls’ champ Tea Kovacevic from Bosnia posts another great result in 2024, adding to her Cat.3 title in Belgrade as well as to her great runs to the quarters in both Stockholm Super Category and Tim Essonne Cat.1 events.
For more info about the event click here.
Auray (FRA) | 12&U Cat.1 | Open Super 12
The focus was on the Brittany Region of France for one of the world’s biggest 12&U events, which included great hospitality and a flurry of Social Media activity. Honors in the singles went to Arthur Salafa (FRA) and Elizaveta Anikina (EST). For more, visit: https://www.facebook.com/OpenSuper12Auray
More news:
- Insernhagen (GER): There were more spoils for Turkish players as Zeliha Nil Çukurluoglo captured her third singles title on the TEJT, as did boys’ champ Luys Calin (GER) at the 14&U Cat.3 Cup der Nordverbande.
- Development Championships: In addition to the tournament mentioned above, a 12&U training camp was also held in time for week 2, which will feature a 12&U tournament as well as a second 14&U event.
- Junior School sessions were held in Helsinki and Antalya this week. Read more here: https://fb.watch/qJrSxl_6P1/
Radu & Kovackova on top in Stockholm
Andrei Radu (ROU) and Jana Kovackova (CZE) secured their first Tennis Europe titles of the year at the Super Category event in Stockholm, Kungens Kanna & Drottningens Pris. It was a particularly impressive week for Kovackova, who not only clinched the singles title but also triumphed in doubles with compatriot Katerina Zajickova.
The Super Category tournament stands out as one of the most prestigious - and traditional - on the Junior Tour calendar and is highly cherished by players from all over the world. Following the qualifying finals, the juniors were granted the opportunity to engage in a Tennis Europe Junior School session, led by Tennis Europe CEO Thomas Hammerl. During this session, he introduced the latest topic related to coaching and provided insights into do’s and don'ts on Social Media. Additionally, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) Education Team was present, addressing matters concerning 'Anti-Doping & Anti-Corruption'.
Mirroring the All-England Club at Wimbledon, the event has its own “Last 8 Club”. The singles quarterfinalists were welcomed into this exclusive group, receiving traditional t-shirts as they etched their names into the history books. Now part of the club is also the 12-year-old Darina Matvejeva from Latvia who recently won a 14 & Under event in January and was given a wildcard for Stockholm.
Boys Last 8
Richard Krizan [1] (SVK) vs. Andrei Radu [7] (ROU)
Erikas Maskolaitis (LTU) vs. Sebastian Tejerina (AUT)
Johann Nagel-Heyer [6] (GER) vs. Nikita Berdin
Callum Mackinnon (CAN) vs. Pavel Oliver Duffek [2] (CZE)
Girls Last 8
Jana Kovackova [1] (CZE) vs. Polina Skliar [9] (UKR)
Megan Knight (GBR) vs. Tea Kovacevic [11] (BIH)
Xinran Sun (CHN) vs. Darina Matvejeva (LAT)
Sophie Triquart (GER) vs. Daniel Baranes (ISR)
Finals
Andrei Radu had an impressive week in Stockholm, upsetting several top seeds on his way to the final, including the first seed, Richard Krizan (SVK), in the quarterfinals 6-3 2-6 6-1. In the final the Romanian faced Johann Nagel-Heyer (GER) in an intense first set but swiftly sealed the deal in the second set, securing a 7-5 6-0 victory. Radu’s the first Romanian player to ever win this prestigious competition.
Jana Kovackova, the 2023 Junior Masters Champion, reached the final without dropping more than four games in any match. Her opponent in the final, Xinran Sun (CHN), also breezed through the tournament, attempting to add another title to her collection after winning Tim Essonne last week. However, the Czech player remained focused and claimed victory with a decisive score of 6-3, 6-2.
Boys Doubles
Patrick Breen (IRL) & Eric Lorimer (GBR) def. Plamen Kolev & Dimitar Topchiyski (BUL) 7-5 6-0
Girls Doubles
Jana Kovackova & Katerina Zajickova (CZE) def. Polina Skliar (UKR) & Aleksandra Zaplawa (POL) 6-2 6-3
Elsewhere on the Junior Tour this week:
- Ameliia Kononenko won her first 14 & Under title at the Ahmet Erguden Cup in Antalya
- Marcel Jelinek (AUT) claimed his first title of the year at Bad Waltersdorf, facing four out of five top seeds along the way
- In Stavanger, Norway, two Czech players left with the big trophies – Kristian Simek and Veronika Navratilova
- Oliwia Kadzielska (POL) upset first seed Aliaksandra Tryhubkina to secure her first-ever Tennis Europe title
For full results and draws from these and all the week’s other events,click here.
Lorimer breaks new ground at Tim Essonne
Eric Lorimer of Great Britain and Xinran Sun of China have won this year’s TIM Essonne boys’ and girls’ singles titles, a historically important stop on the Tennis Europe Junior Tour, held at Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois in France.
They join the likes of Rafa Nadal, Marketa Vondrousova, Andrey Rublev and Martina Hingis in having held aloft the coveted 14 & Under trophy.
This week’s main event kicked off with a flurry of social media activity and live streaming last weekend. As the tournament’s 39th edition got under way, the top seeds breezed through the opening rounds of the main draw until the quarters of the girls' competition, when the top two seeds, Tea Kovacevic (BIH) and Andrea Olariu (ROU) were ousted by Alisa Trentyeva and Nora Oliva Adamson (EST) respectively.
Top boys’ seed Alexander Kunitsyn fared slightly better, falling in the semis to eventual champion Lorimer in a thrilling three-setter. A bigger upset occurred when second seed Evgenii Kafelnikov lost in round three to fourteenth seed Evan Galea of Malta. The top two seeds later earned some consolation though, pairing to reach the podium of the doubles event.
In the end, Lorimer was too strong for Alex Tuomolin, taking the final with a 6-4 7-5 victory. It was Lorimer’s first Junior Tour singles title and second title of the year, adding to his doubles victory in Bolton in January. There was another Brit in the girls’ final, Daniella Britton, but today she came up against a fierce competitor from China. Not having dropped a set all tournament, Sun was flawless in the final and waltzed away with the title 6-1 6-1.
It was the second trophy of the tournament for Sun, who also won the doubles title. The singles win was her ninth Junior Tour title overall, across three age categories. These wins come six years after the last Chinese player won the girls’ singles title here: 2024 Australian Open finalist Qinwen Zheng. Expect Lorimer to jump from #6 in the Race to Monte Carlo update on Tuesday, while Britton will also make a significant leap.
Boys’ Doubles Final: Alexey Ilin & Tsikhan Koran def. Evgenii Kafelnikov & Alexander Kunitsyn 6-2 6-4
Girls’ Doubles Final: Tea Kovacevic (BIH) & Xinran Sun (CHN) def. Laura Chlumska (CZE) & Viktoria Novakova (SVK) 6-2 6-2
Elsewhere on the Junior Tour this week:
Soul Cup - 14&U Cat.2 | Istanbul (TUR)
- Rodion Traigel (KAZ) won his first 14&U tile with a 6-0 6-1 win over Zuka Kacheishvili (GEO)
- Pakistani player Haniya Aman Minhas beat Ekaterina Dotsenko 6-0 6-4 in the girls’ final to pick up her second win on the TEJT
- Traigel teamed up with compatriot Ansar Niyet Kaliyev to win the boys’ doubles, while Mariia Masliakova & Polina Orlova were the girls’ doubles champions.
International Championships of Romania U14 - 14&U Cat.2 | Bucharest (ROU)
- Daniil Valter scored a 6-2 7-5 win over Italy’s Marco Brignoli in the final of the boys’ event to clinch his maiden 14&U title.
- The girls’ champ was Sofia Bielinska (UKR) who beat local Ayanna Maria Mitu 6-2 6-4 in the final to claim an impressive third title in the age group this year alone
- It was an all-Romanian affair in the boys’ and girls’ doubles podia, with honours going to Albert Ionut Pipie & Andrei Radu (boys) and Ana Chindris & Teodora Georgiana Petre (girls).
TEJT 2 U14 “Baseline Open U14 2023” - 14&U Cat.2 | Banska Bystrica (SVK)
- The top 4 boys’ seeds all made it to the semis in Slovakia. It all went according to the script for top seed Sebastian Tejerina (POL) who outplayed Michal Rakous (CZE) 6-1 6-0 in the final.
- For the girls it was quite the opposite, with 4 unseeded through to the business end of the tournament. The final went the way of Laura Masarykova (SVK) who beat Emese Serkedi (HUN) 6-4 6-0.
- Rakous was successful in the dobles final, teaming with compatriot David Drlik to win the boys’ title while the girls’ title went to Hungarians Laura Liza Fizel & Panni Rekedt-Nagy.
For full results and draws from these and all the week’s other events, click here.
This week sees another of the Junior Tour’s most traditional tournaments swing into action: the Kungens Kanna & Drottningen Pris 14 & Under tournament in Stockholm, Sweden. You can follow all the live scores and live streaming on the TEJT app. Led by Tennis Europe CEO Thomas Hammerl, a Junior School session was held earlier this evening in the Swedish capital before the start of main draw matches tomorrow. He introduced the School’s latest topic, Coaching, and also discussed social media. The ITIA Education Team was also present and spoke about Anti-Doping & Anti-Corruption.
Winter Cups Win for Great Britain and Slovakia
Hosts Great Britain (girls) and Slovakia (boys) have captured this year’s 12&U Winter Cups by Dunlop titles, Europe’s biggest indoor team tennis event. 2024 has seen the welcome return of the 12&U Winter Cups, with the event last held in 2020 for this age group.
This year was also special in that it marked the 10th edition of the event as well as the first time that both the boys’ and girls’ Final Rounds were played at the same venue
📸 Photo Gallery
HEADLINES
- Having won their qualifying zones, both boys’ and girls’ teams from eternal favourites Czechia were taken out at the first stage of the final rounds, by Austria and Great Britain respectively
- Of the 4 teams in the finals, the Slovakian boys’ team were the only squad to get through the qualifying rounds undefeated
- Great Britain fell to Croatia in round 2 in Zone C qualifying, however by virtue of their status as host nation, they advanced to the final rounds*
- With the hosts and Ukraine qualifying for the girls’ final, the trophy was guaranteed to remain in the hands of one of only 4 nations to have ever won the girls’ event, namely Great Britain, Russia, Ukraine and Czechia
- In contrast, the boys’ decider saw first-time finalists Austria and Slovakia fight it out for bragging rights
GIRLS’ FINAL
Great Britain def Ukraine 2–1
Ukraine’s Road to the Final
Zone B Qualifying Rounds: R1 def Moldova 2-1; R2 def Belgium 3-0; Qualifying final: lost to Czechia 1-2
Final Rounds: QF def Romania 3-0; SF def Estonia 2-1
Great Britain’s Road to the Final
Zone C Qualifying Rounds: R1 def Netherlands 3-0; R2 lost to Croatia 1-2*
Final Rounds: QF def Czechia 2-1; SF def Slovakia 2-1
The final was played between the ‘defending champions’ and hosts Great Britain, who won the last edition back in 2020, and the 2015 champs Ukraine. Naina Kapoor, having lost her singles in the preceding rounds, found her form and put the hosts ahead with a gritty 7-6(5) 7-5 win over Anna Kuznetsova. However, Mariia Kocherzhenko wasted no time putting Ukraine back in contention with a 6-2 6-4 win over Dasha Jones. So down to a live doubles decider it was, with the two Ukrainians returning to court to face Sophia Cuninghame who teamed with Jones for Team GB. In a thrilling contest that went down to the wire, it was the local team that kept the trophy on British soil with a 10-6 win in the championship tiebreak.
After the match team coach Luke Milligan was extremely proud of his team. “From a GB perspective, the girls this week have been amazing. With events like this, it often comes down to the doubles and our girls have been amazing in doubles this week. We’ve had a really good balance of the matches being super competitive but also played in great spirits, which is exactly what you want out of the event.”
BOYS’ FINAL
Slovakia def Austria 2-1
Austria’s Road to the Final
Zone C Qualifying Rounds: R1 def Slovenia 3-0; R2 def Portugal 3-0; Qualifying final: lost to Netherlands 1-2
Final Rounds: QF def Czechia 2-1; SF def Switzerland 2-1
Slovakia’s Road to the Final
Zone D Qualifying Rounds: R1 def Italy 2-1; R2 def Georgia 3-0; Qualifying Final def Great Britain 2-1
Final Rounds: QF def Poland 3-0; SF def Finland 3-0
Matteo Sanson got Slovakia off to a strong start with a confident 6-2 6-1 win over Lionel Friessnegg, for his third straight set win in Sunderland and sixth win overall in this competition, ending his Winter Cups campaign undefeated in singles. Luca Sageder put the Austrians back on even terms with a tough 7-5 7-5 win over Martin Adamca to set up another live doubles in Sunderland. Adamca and Sanson were back on court, where they posted a 6-3 6-2 win over Sageder and Fabian Leitner to clinch the victory for the Slovaks, who were elated after their victory. “I feel very good. I played my best tennis in the final and we played the doubles very well. It was a great experience for us,” stated Sanson, while Adamca added “I also played very well in the final and I played best in the doubles. I feel great!”
WINTER CUPS: BACK WITH A VENGEANCE
Europe’s biggest indoor team tennis event has come back strong this year, with all three age groups now in action. With Over 500 players, representing 183 national teams played at 15 venues, it was the 12&U players who kicked off the fortnight of Final Rounds. (The 14&U and 16&U finals get under way next weekend.)
All in all, it was a successful return to competition at the 12&U Winter Cups by Dunlop. The boys’ final rounds had previously been held at various venues in Czechia, while the girls’ final rounds were first held in Sheffield and, since 2015, in Sunderland, near Newcastle.
At the opening ceremony the Mayor of Sunderland, Dorothy Truman, helped kick off proceedings welcoming the 16 teams. “Some of the biggest names in the world including Andy Murray, Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer, Martina Hingis and Emma Raducanu all competed in Tennis Europe events as juniors.” She went on to apologise for the constant rain, but nevertheless said she was “honoured and proud to welcome you all on behalf of our city, our region and our country and great - indoor - facilities at the Silksworth Community Pool, Tennis & Wellness Centre.”
The venue expanded from its original four to eight indoor courts, thus easily being able to accommodate a joint boys’ and girls’ final rounds. In addition, players and coaches attended a session of the Tennis Europe Junior School at the end of Day 1, where Tennis Europe staff gave the 12&U players a talk followed by a quiz about the Tennis Family and Social Media.
Thank you to the LTA and to the host venue for putting on a successful return to the event, as well as to all the staff and volunteers involved. Finally, congratulations to all 16 teams for making the final rounds:
FINAL STANDINGS:
GIRLS:
- Great Britain
- Ukraine
- Slovakia
- Estonia
- Czechia
- Romania
- Bulgaria
- Switzerland
BOYS:
- Slovakia
- Austria
- Switzerland
- Finland
- Great Britain
- Netherlands
- Czechia
- Poland