Pagonis, who won Tim Essonne in February, didn’t have the best run at the previous Super Category events in Tarbes or Stockholm. This time, however, he maintained a high level throughout the final. Facing Samuel Dakessian, he edged the first set 7-5 but lost control in the second, with the French player pushing back and fighting for every point. In the third set, though, Dakessian couldn’t match Pagonis’s energy. After 1 hour and 50 minutes, Pagonis emerged victorious with a 7-5 3-6 6-1 win.

Even if the score doesn’t fully reflect it, the girls’ final was nearly as intense. In their first-ever encounter, Sofia Tatu and Noemi Nogradi (HUN) displayed a great level of tennis. Tatu led 6-3 5-2 when Nogradi, with nothing to lose, started a fierce comeback, pushing the match to 5-4 and earning multiple break points as Tatu served for the win. The final game lasted over 10 minutes, but Tatu held her nerve, saved the break points, and closed the match 6-3 6-4.

DOUBLES

Pagonis left to Greece with two trophies in his bag – singles and doubles. In the doubles competition, he teamed up with Yurii Stoianov (UKR) and claimed the title after a tough final against one of home’s favourite Francisco Sardinha and Moritz Freitag of Austria 6-7 7-5 10-5.

On the girls’ doubles draw, first seeds Nil Çukurluoglu (TUR) and Sara Sitar (ROU) won the title against the Portugese pair of Carolina Bernardo and Noa Freitas 6-0 6-3.

The Maia Jovem event is a prestigious tournament on the Junior Tour, with today’s stars like Carlos Alcaraz and Lorenzo Musetti having lifted the trophy just a few years ago. Recognised for the excellent work behind the scenes, the tournament directors were recently honoured with the Tennis Europe Tournament Director prize. To learn more about the prize, click here.

Elsewhere on the Junior Tour

• BISTRITA TORPHY, 16&U CAT.2, Bistrita (ROU)
  It was a hard-fought tussle in the boys’ final between two locals, with Paul Ghimbasan (pictured) getting over the line ahead of Tudor Alexandru Preda 7-6 3-6 7-5, while Anna-Sophie Andrei was too strong for Sandra Ciobica 6-1 6-2 in another all-Romanian final
• SIAULIAI TENNIS ACADEMY CUP, 14&U Cat.3, Siauliai (LTU)
  Dane Laurits Oestergaard and Brit Lilia Saad were the boys’ and girls’ champs, with both players to claiming their second title of the season
• PECIN MEMORIJAL, 16&U Cat.2, Pancevo (SRB)
  Race leader Mihailo Topic (SRB), in his second final of the year, nabbed his first win on home soil defeating Race #4 and compatriot Luka Ceramilac in the decider. North Macedonian Sara Mitevska also made it a first win from two finals by taking out Camilla Olga Castracani (ITA) in the girls’ final. 
• LES RAQUETTES, 16&u Cat.3, Thessaloniki (GRE)
  Lydia Panagiotidou (GRE) and Rafael Antonis Gakopoulos (GRE) were crowned champions for their fourth and first TEJT singles titles respectively. The tournament also shared some delightful content over social media over the past week.

For more results, click here.