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Germany & Portugal advance at Summer Cups in Hamburg
A busy week on the Tennis Europe Junior Tour saw the first ever Summer Cups qualifying round held alongside an ATP event, while Category 1 action took place in Annecy, France
EUROPEAN SUMMER CUPS
The first of the eight 16 & Under Summer Cups Qualifying Rounds took place in Hamburg, where 8 teams of boys fought for a spot in the final of the European team championship event in Le Touquet next month. The competition was held alongside the ATP 500 event, allowing the players to experience the iconic atmosphere of professional events.
The German boys, the home favorites, were cheered by hundreds, if not thousands, of spectators during the three days of competition. In today’s final, the team consisting of Diego Dedura Palomero, Niels McDonald and Oliver Majdandzic played against Portugal and comfortably won all three matches.
Germany’s captain Philipp Petzschner commented, “It was a great experience, playing in front of a crowd was an amazing feeling for the boys. I witnessed it a few times before, that’s why last year we came up with the idea to host it during the ATP 500. Thanks to the organisers and the German federation, we made it possible. The boys were practicing the whole week with Rune, with Fils, with almost everybody who was in the draw, so I think we had a great week. Since we qualified, an even better weekend. The boys embraced the feeling of playing for their country, we have big goals this year and we want to go as far as possible."
Germany and Portugal have therefore both qualified for the Final Rounds in Le Touquet, where they will battle for one of the 5 spots at the Junior Davis Cup in Antalya in November. As hosts, Türkiye (who claimed the bronze medals with a win over Netherlands) will also compete there.
Tennis Europe would like to thank the German Tennis Federation, Tennium and the City of Hamburg for offering this unique opportunity to the players.
TENNIS EUROPE U14 D’ANNECY
Takahiro Kawaguchi of Japan and Yeseo Park of Korea claimed the Category 1 titles in Annecy, following a week of great tennis and an unpredictable draw with many top seeds falling along the way.
ITF Touring Teams from around the world made their presence felt, with players from four different continents reaching the semi-finals. Takahiro Kawaguchi proved throughout the week that he can manage three-set matches very well, as 4 out of the 6 matches he played had a decisive set. In the final against Brazilian Livas Eduardo De Carvalho Damazio, he came back from one set down to win 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.
This is the second title in a row for Kawaguchi, who had just secured the 14&U Wimbledon trophy and showed no trouble in adapting to the clay surface.
As for the girls, Yeseo Park upset first seed Laura Chlumska of Czechia 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 to advance to the final round, where she quickly defeated Ukrainian Anastasiia Nikolaieva. It was the first time Park had played in a TEJT tournament, and she made the perfect debut!
ELSEWHERE ON THE JUNIOR TOUR THIS WEEK
Top seeded German Johan Nagel-Heyer lived up to his billing, winning six matches to take the title at the combined 12/14&U Austrian Youth Open in Kufstein. It was his first title of the year, and will no doubt help boost his Race to Masters ranking of #6 on Tuesday. The girls’ 14&U event was also won by the top seed, Sofia Kocisova (SVK), who beat Australia’s Pauline Ma by the unusual score of 6-1 0-6 6-0.
The Peter Hagedorn International was another combined event – a 14/16 & Under combi held in Waiblingen, Germany, where there were some notable winners. One of this year’s breakthrough players, Darina Matvejeva (LAT) won her fifth title of the season – and first at 16 & Under level – with a win over top seed Sofie Mottlova (CZE) in the final. The other three singles titles all went to the top seeds: Akhmadi Makhanov (KAZ) won the 14 & Under boys’ (plus the doubles), Violetta Skryp (UKR) the 14 & Under girls’, and Niccola Satta (ITA) the 16 & Under boys.
Reykjavik, Iceland hosted arguably Europe’s most remote event, where Denmark’s Mingus Hansen and Britains Liv Zingg took the singles titles.
Australian players dominated the Focus Tennis Academy Open in Ridderkerk (NED), where Lucas Han and Tori Russell overcame a very international field to emerge victorious.
For full results from the Junior Tour this week, click here.
Europeans Sweep Wimbledon Titles
The 14&U Summer Cups finals kicked off a busy summer on the Tennis Europe Junior Tour. The calendar continues to be packed with events in London (Wimbledon Juniors and 14&U invitational), a 14&U Category 1 event in the Olympic city, Paris, in addition to events in 10 other cities across Europe.
London | The Championships, Wimbledon 14&U Invitational
Junior Tour and Race #1 Jana Kovackova has added another trophy to her impressive collection by winning this event, now in its third year. The Czech came through the round-robin stage along with fellow Europeans Megan Knight (GBR), grasscourt champ at the Junior Tour's qualifying event for this prestitigous competition. held in Raynes Park last month, and Keisija Berzina (LAT). Kovackova saw off the Brit in the semifinal, with just two points the difference between the pair in the match tiebreak. In another tight match, the Czech came from behind to outdo Berzina 5-7 6-3 10-2 in the final.
Stan Put (NED) was the only European face in the boys’ semifinals, falling to eventual champion Takahiro Kawaguchi (JPN). Other familiar British names on the #TEJT Niall Pickerd-Barua, Scott Watson and Eric Lorimer were not able to progress past the round robin stage, but were able to enjoy the experience nonetheless.Kawaguchi's final oppoment was Jordan Lee (USA), as seen in our feature photo (above).
Juniors
The 2022 Junior Masters champion Nicolai Budkov-Kjaer (NOR) was crowned boys’ champion. He defeated Mees Rottgering (NED), winner of seven TEJT titles, 6-3 6-3 in the final. In doing do, Budkov-Kjaer notably became the first Norwegian player ever to reach a Wimbledon semi-final. Other notable European results were quarterfinal appearances of Rafael Jodar (ESP) and Maxim Mrva (CZE), European 14&U champion in 2021.
Slovak Renata Jamrichova adds a second junior Slam title to her 2024 AO win by defeating Australian Emerson Jones 6-3 6-4 in the final. Czech Vendula Valdmannova was a semifinalist, while other Europeans who posted promising results by reaching the quarters were Monika Stankiewicz (POL), Rositsa Dencheva (BUL), Teodora Kostovic (SRB) and 2023 16&U European Junior Championships gold medalist and Junior Masters champion Jeline Vandromme (BEL).
Professional Events
Europeans also dominated the podia of the five main pro events, with winners in all disciplines:
- Barbora Krejcikova won a second major, defeating Jasmine Paolini (ITA) in the women’s final. Paolini was a recent finalist at Roland Garros, the site of Krejcikova’s first major win. The Czech added the singles win to her two previous doubles victories in SW19 with a 6-2 2-6 6-4 win.
- Carlos Alcaraz let three 3 match points slip at 5-4 in tense third set before composing himself to take the tiebreak and score a straight-sets win over ten-time finalist and seven-time champion Novak Djokovic. The Spaniard won his fourth major and second Wimbledon title with a 6-2 6-2 7-6(4) victory.
- Katerina Siniakova won a third Wimbledon doubles title. She picked up her first pair of wins with Krejcikova and this year the fifth-ranked doubles player teamed with new mum Taylor Townsend (USA) to win the title.
- The Finnish-British pairing of Harri Heliovaara & Henry Patten won the men’s doubles title, with both players claiming a maiden slam title
- The Mixed-Doubles title went to Jan Zielinski of Poland who partnered Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE).
Paris | Open Stade Français | 14&U Cat.1
Another successful event for this TEJT staple kicked off with warm video messages on Instagram from Justine Henin as well as last year’s boys’ champion Daniel Jade.
After another session of the Tennis Europe Junior School was followed by a week of intense tennis, Benoit Geldof (FRA) won his first TEJT title by defeating compatriot Luca Iliescu 6-4 3-6 6-4 in the final. The French player claimed the scalp of top seed Andrei Radu in the quarterfinal, while the wildcard entrant Iliescu also upset a seed en route to the final, Ireland’s Patrick Breen, #4).
The top girls’ seed also fell earlier than expected, with Race #4 Laura Chlumska (CZE) also falling in the quarters, while 12&U Festival champ Daniel Baranes (ISR) was a semifinalist. Both players fell to the runner-up Sakino Miyazawa (JPN), who couldn’t withstand the might of Anastasiia Nikolaieva in the final, with the Ukrainian taking the title in a convincing 6-3 6-0 win, for her second title of the year. Photo: (left Sakino Miyawaza, and right Anastasiia Nikolaieva).
Boys’ doubles champions: Samuel Dakessian (FRA) & Mario Vukovic (FRA)
Girls’ doubles champions: Emilie Chen (AUS) & Vesna Marinkov (AUS)
Elsewhere on the Junior Tour this week:
★ 16&U Race to Monte-Carlo #4 Tea Kovacevic (BIH) will see her stock rise after winning a third 16&U tournament in Podgorica. This is in addition to three 14&U singles titles this year in what has been an impressive season indeed.
★ It was a whitewash for home players in Cutea de Arges, Romania, with locals winning all four events. Worth highlighting is Ioana Maria Sandru’s singles win, her second title of the year.
★ The allure of the TEJT was highlighted again this week with many players from afar visiting Europe, making inroads and posting various podium finishes. Canadians Damian Smith and Joni Colburne won the boys’ and girls’ 12&U event in Forli (ITA). The Australian contingent at the combined 12/14&U Fürstenfeld (AUT) event walked away with a total of 2 singles runner-up finishes as well as a doubles title, while their antipodean neighbours from New Zealand posted wins in both the boys’ and girls’ doubles. As mentioned above, the girls’ doubles champs in Paris also hail from Down Under and in addition to a strong Japanese showing in Paris, Kazakh players Linara Bulesheva & Medina Otepbergen were 14&U doubles runners-up in Fürstenfeld:
There is plenty of action to come in the following weeks. Ancient Olympia (GRE) will be host to a 14&U Cat.3 event at starting today (Monday); a 14&U Cat.1 in picturesque Annecy, nestled in the French Alps also gets underway today. Another highlight is the 16&U Summer Cups Zone B qualifying which will take place in conjunction with the ATP 500 event in Hamburg. Stay tuned for more updates from these events.
To see all this week’s winners go to: https://www.tenniseurope.org/page/35674/Tennis-Europe-Junior-Tour-Winners
Spain and Czechia Win 14&U Summer Cups
Spain have won the 14&U boys’ Copa del Sol, beating Great Britain 2-0 in today’s final at home in Valencia. Meanwhile in Loano (ITA), Czechia won their fifth Europa Cup in a 2-1 win over Austria, clinching the title in a nail-biting doubles championship tiebreak.
It was Spain’s sixth title overall adding to their wins in 2017, 2015, 2012, 2002 and 1991. The Brits, for their part, were making only their second appearance in a final - the first was when they took the title back in 1995. Despite today’s loss, it has been a great year for Team GB who also finished as runner-up at the Winter Cups.
The Czech girls add to the four titles they previously won at this event in 2022, 2018, 2013 and 1999 as well as a further five when including the wins as part of Czechoslovakia in 1993, 1992, 1990, 1989 and 1987. On a roll this year, the Czechs collect another team trophy to go with the Winter Cups title they won back in February. Going into the ITF World Junior Tennis Final in August, they look to be strong contenders for the title, where they will be competing on home soil. (More on that below.)
Copa de Sol: Boys’ Final
Spain def. Great Britain 2-0
Spain’s road to the title:
Qualifying Rounds
R1: def. Belgium 3-0
R2: def. Poland 2-1
Final: def Great Britain 2-1
Final Rounds
QF: def. Greece 3-0
SF: def. France 2-1
Coming into the Summer Cups, the British looked to be the hot favourites on paper. Eric Lorimer, European #1 and Race to Monte-Carlo leader, had just posted a resounding Category 1 win in London, albeit on Grass, a couple of weeks prior. Also in London, Niall Pickerd-Barua was part of the winning doubles combo that took the title, while Scott Watson was a semi-finalist. The three players also rank in the top 4 of the Race to Monte-Carlo.
However, a Spanish team on clay, especially on home soil, can never be underestimated. In the qualifying rounds, the locals got the better of the Brits in the qualifying final with a 2-1, with Izan Bañares upsetting Lorimer to swing the momentum in favour of the locals before they powered on to win the deciding doubles in convincing fashion.
The two teams met again in the grand finale. Lorimer did not play and, in what was a tussle in the first rubber, Toni Escarda Piñeiro got the better of Watson in just under two hours, putting the locals ahead with a 6-3 3-6 6-3 win. Twelfth-ranked Bañares then sealed the deal for Spain with an inspired 6-3 6-2 victory over Pickerd-Barua.
Europa Cup: Girls’ Final
Czechia def. Austria 2-1
Czechia’s road to the title:
Qualifying Rounds
R1: def. Slovenia 3-0
R2: def. Poland 3-0
Final: def. Slovakia 2-0
Final Rounds
QF: def. Great Britain 2-1
SF: def. Ukraine 3-0
Austria got off to a strong start, stunning the Czechs when 46th-ranked Anna Pircher scored a shock 6-2 6-2 win over Katerina Zajickova, number 10 in the rankings.
Undefeated in both qualifying and final rounds, European #1 and Race to Monte-Carlo leader Jana Kovackova was the linchpin of the Czech team. She more than lived up to her ranking today by getting the Czechs back onto an even keel, methodically dispatching of Lea Haider-Maurer 6-0 6-1 in 47 minutes.
Into a deciding doubles it went, and by the slimmest of margins the Czechs pipped the Austrians to the post. Although the Austrians held their own, the steady hands of Kovackova caressed an exquisitely angled cross-court backhand winner on match point to give the Czechs a 6-3 2-6 10-6 win, as well as their second title in three years.
Final standings and ITF Finals Qualification
The Summer Cups tournament also serves as European qualifying for the ITF World Junior Tennis Finals in Prostejov (CZE) in August. Hosts Czechia as well as the top 5 teams (in bold) qualify for the event.
Boys Final Standings:
- Spain
- Great Britain
- France
- Netherlands
- Czechia
- Greece
- Romania
- Slovakia
Girls Final Standings:
- Czechia
- Austria
- Germany
- Ukraine
- Great Britain
- Slovakia
- Romania
- Italy
For complete results, photos and more, click here.
ATP 500 Hamburg Open to host European Summer Cups qualifying rounds
The Tennis Europe Junior Tour’s premier summer team competition will reach a brand-new audience later this month when the 16 & Under Summer Cups boys’ qualifying competition takes place alongside the ATP Hamburg Open 500 event.
The action will take place during the ATP tournament’s final weekend, from 19-21 July, when eight teams (Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and Türkiye) will battle to advance from their qualifying group.
First played in the 1950s, the Summer Cups are Europe’s longest-running junior team event, offering young players an early taste of international team competition. Held across four age categories (12/14/16/18 & Under), the 16 & Under tournament also serves as the European qualifying for the Junior Davis Cup (boys) and Junior Billie Jean King Cup (girls).
Tennis Europe CEO Thomas Hammerl commented, “Our strategic focus is to stage officially-sanctioned Junior Tennis events alongside ATP and WTA tournaments. We’re very grateful to the Hamburg Open organisers and the DTB for providing this unique opportunity to these young players.”
Earlier this year, a 16 & Under event was held alongside the Masters 1000 event in Rome for the first time, while the winners of the recent Raynes Park 14 & Under tournament received wild cards to compete on the biggest of stages: the Wimbledon 14 & Under Invitational tournament.
The ATP 500 Hamburg Open’s stellar player line-up this year includes several former Summer Cups players and Junior Tour alumni, headed by former European Junior Champion Holger Rune and Junior Masters winner Alexander Zverev.
The German Tennis Federation is also pleased that the young players will take the spotlight alongside the ATP stars: “Bringing the Tennis Europe Summer Cup to Hamburg is a great opportunity for our young players to present themselves in front of a larger audience and home fans. These competitions are important to create a sense of team spirit among the boys and give them a taste of what it feels like to represent their country in the Davis Cup,” says DTB board member Veronika Rücker.
The DTB, along with the City of Hamburg with its Hamburg Active City initiative, supports the European Summer Cup. The City Hall is also committed to the prestigious junior competition: “The City of Hamburg is very excited that the youth can showcase their skills as part of this year's ATP tournament. The Active City concept is lived out here: young players are integrated into the high-class competitions of the professionals. Spectators can look forward to the top stars of tomorrow, and the juniors can experience the atmosphere of a major ATP tournament. Germany has some hopeful talents in the 16 & Under category who became vice-European champions last year. I hope they go all the way this year - the first step is made here in Hamburg in our beautiful Rothenbaum stadium,” says Hamburg's State Councilor Christoph Holstein.
Tennium, the organizer hosting the Hamburg Open for the first time this year, is also looking forward to the junior tournament: “We are very committed to supporting and motivating the next generation,” says Enric Molina Mur, Managing Tournament Director of the Hamburg Open. “Tennium also manages and promotes talents as an agency. By hosting the European Summer Cup at the Hamburg Open, we give the players the opportunity to showcase their skills and gain valuable experience at one of the most traditional tournaments on the tour. The young players of today are the big stars of tomorrow, and together with them, we want to build a stronger future for tennis,” Molina Mur continues.
ITF/Tennis Europe 16 & Under Touring Team in action
With international team events looming on the horizon, another team is currently competing in Armenia, aiming for success in individual ITF tournaments. As of now, 4 boys and 4 girls from 7 member nations are participating in the 2024 edition of the ITF/Tennis Europe 16 & Under Touring Team.
The Touring Teams, a key European Assistance program, are funded by the Grand Slam Player Development Program and have seen remarkable success over the years.
Providing an inside look into the daily routines of professional players, with rigorous training sessions and pivotal tournaments, this initiative plays an important role in a young player’s development. Former participants include top players like Grigor Dimitrov and Jelena Ostapenko.
This year’s selected players are:
Boys
Mustafa Ege Sik (TUR)
Luka Ceramilac (SRB)
Matija Putic (SRB)
Paul Hjorteland (NOR)
Girls
Viktorija Cesonyte (LTU)
Oliwia Sybicka (POL)
Lujza Beviz (HUN)
Katerina Oustampasidou (GRE)
The 8 players embark on their journey with two experienced ITF coaches, Aleksander Jurgens (EST) and Olha Khaniukova (UKR). From June 11th to July 21st, they will compete in four ITF events: two J30 and two J60 tournaments. This year, all tournaments for the touring team will be held in Armenia, an emerging host nation. The competitions will take place at the Tsaghkadzor Sport Complex in the city of Tsaghkadzor.
Keep an eye on our social media and see how the young athletes make the most of this opportunity.