Last week’s biggest event was the 16 & Under Category 1 Citta di Montecatini tournament. The presence of ITF Touring Teams from around the world ensured a truly international draw, and threw in plenty of surprises. Two Americans emerged to contest the boys final, with Thai-Son Kwiatkowski fighting back from a set down to beat qualifier Spencer Papa 6-7(4) 6-3 6-4. The Americans also reached the doubles final together, but were pipped to the title by Chi-Shan Jao of Taiwan and Thailand’s Krittin Koaykul. Giulia Pairone (ITA) flew the home flag in the girls’ event, beating top seed Iryna Shymanovic (BLR) to take the title, while Dea Herdzelas (BIH) and Tatjana Vorobjova (EST) won the doubles.
14 & Under
Also in Italy, the Category 2 Citta di Correggio event featured arguably the toughest 14 & Under field of the week, with players travelling from as far as the USA, Australia and Asia to participate. Canada’s Alejandro Tabilo proved to be the star of the event, winning the doubles with Luca Castelnuovo (SUI) - his second doubles title in two weeks - and then beating his partner 6-2 6-2 to add the singles title. There was a double winner in the girls event too, as home favourite Silvia Chinellato successfully teamed with Amanda Schneider (SUI) in doubles for a second time this season and then beat compatriot Beatrice Torelli to take the singles crown.
Carl Soderlund of Sweden once again showed why he is one of the players to watch on the tour this year, sweeping the titles at the Hollviken Category 3 event in his home country. Having teamed with Jesper Akerlund to win the doubles title (their second this year together, and Soderlund’s fifth in 2011), the pair then faced each other in the singles final. Akerlund got off to a strong start, and took the first set 6-4 before Soderlund fought back, snatching the second 7-5, and dominating the third to take it 6-2 and claim his second singles title of the year. The girls’ final was another all-Swedish affair, with Siri Victorsson brezing past second seed Kajsa Rinaldo Persson 6-2 6-1. The doubles title went to Sofia Ferding & Fanny Ostlund (SWE).
The Category 2 Pecs Junior Tennis Cup in Hungary produced an all-Slovakian boys final, with Alex Molcan beating Alex Gajdica for the loss of just three games. Home players dominated the girls’ event, with top seed Dalma Galfi overcoming Rebeka Stolmar in straight sets. Stolmar had earlier won the doubles with compatriot Anna Bondar, while the boys’ title went to Filip Grbic (SRB) & Vitalii Shcherba (UKR).
At the Marjorie Sherman Category 3 event in Ramle, Israel, top seed Edan Lesham (ISR) swept both singles and doubles titles for a second consecutive week, beating Alon Shats (ISR) in singles and reprising his successful partnership with Emil Saveljev (ISR) in the doubles. The girls’ title went to unseeded Guzal Yusupova of Uzbekistan, who upset seeds in four of her five matches on the way to the title, including fourth seeded final opponent Avital Vaysbuch (ISR). Vaysbuch had earlier teamed with Valeria Nikolaev to take the doubles title for a second week running.
A week or so ago, the Kópavogur Open in Iceland faced an uncertain time due to the eruption of the Grimsvotn volcano, but thankfully the travel disruption was kept to a minimum and the event went ahead smoothly. Top seed António Sabugueiro of Portugal lost just five games in three matches on his way to the final, and just one in the title match itself, as Yanik Kaelin (SUI) was forced to retire after just four games. The pair had earlier teamed to win the doubles. Unseeded Elisa Fiorini (ITA) won the girls’ title with a 6-1 6-2 win over wild card Mirjam Bjoerklund (SWE). Fiorini also won the doubles with compatriot Carlotta Giannetta. Photo Gallery.
Frederico Bonacia of Italy was the main protagonist at the Jug Open, a Category 3 event in Skopje, in FYR Macedonia. A day after winning his first doubles title with compatriot Andrea Zanetti, Bonacia upset home hope Goradz Srbljak in the singles final to win his first Tennis Europe Junior Tour singles crown. Greece’s Konstantina Karkani was another first time winner. Playing in the main draw for just the third time in her short career so far, she withstood a three-set battle with Emilija Dacetovic (SRB) to take the girl’s singles title. Russian pair Ekaterina Manekina & Anastasia Samsonenko won the doubles.
Frogner in Norway was the location of a combined 14 & Under and 16 & Under event. Having won two titles already this season, including one in Stabekk the previous week, top seed Viktor Durasovic had been favoured to win the 14 & Under boys’ crown, but was beaten by compatriot Frederick Schaefer in a close final 3-6 7-5 6-4. Having reached her first Tennis Europe Junior Tour semifinal, there was no stopping Armenia’s Arevik Tumanyan, who won the girls’ title over top seed Ida Skancke (NOR). There was some consolation for Skancke in the doubles, where she teamed with Dorthea Faa Hviding (NOR) for a win. The boys doubles went to Finnish pair Patrik Niklas Salminen & Eero Vasa, their second title of the season.
The 16 & Under titles all went to Norwegian players, with Noah Hajdu-Andersson winning the boys’ singles and Lars Johan Dahle teaming with Sweden’s William Malm for the doubles. Maria Groener won the girls singles and hooked up with beaten finalist Andrea Raaholdt to lift the doubles trophy.
16 & Under
The Category 2 Zabrze Cup in Poland capped a successful fortnight for top seed Alexander Lebedyn. For a second week running, the Ukrainian won singles and doubles titles, this time beating home hope Jan Zielinski (with whom he won the doubles) in the final. The girls’ event was dominated by Slovak players, with 14 year old qualifier Kristina Schmiedlova emerging triumphant, ending the winning run of Maribor champion Jana Jablonovska with a 6-3 6-4 win. Jablonovska did win the doubles though, extending her winning streak to fourteen matches and four tournaments, teaming this time with Viktoria Kuzmova.
The Children’s Day Cup in Chisinau, Moldova, proved to be successful for local players. Alexander Cozbinov accepted a wild card invitation, and capitalised by upsetting the top two seeds on route to the title, including a 7-6(6) 6-2 win over Alexander Zverev of Germany in the final. Daniela Ciobanu dropped just two games against Sadafmoh Tolibova (BLR) in the girls final. Three of the four doubles titlists were from Ukraine, with Ruslan Andrusevych & Kyrylo Panchenko taking the boys’ title, and Evgeniya Ivanichenko teaming with Lisa Ponomar (GER) for the girls’.
12 & Under
Britain’s Anastasia Mikheeva was the star of the Junior Koper Open in Slovenia, winning both the girls’ titles. She beat Rome and Maglie champion Arianna Capogrosso (ITA) to claim her third singles title of the season, and teamed with Jovana Vukovic (SRB) for a first doubles title. Boys’ champion Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) also won his third title of the season, easing to a 6-3 6-1 win over Hungary’s Zsombor Piros. Croatian pair Karlo Divkovic & Renzo Paro teamed up to take their first boys’ doubles title. The finals were broadcast live on Slovenian Sports Channel ŠPORT TV, unique for a 12 & under event. Photo Gallery.
The Passagespoirs event in France has long been established as one of the toughest 12 & Under events on the Tour and this year was no exception. Two local players fought their way through a 64-player boys’ draw that featured participants from all over the world, with Corentin Moutet upsetting some of the most successful players of 2011 on his way to a final victory over Dan Added. In the girls’ event, Marketa Vondrousova won her second title of the season in singles, and teamed with her final opponent, compatriot Anna Slovakova, to take the doubles. The boys’ doubles went to Poland’s Michal Sikorski and Kacper Zuk.
A third 12 & Under event, the Euroregion Nisa Cup, was held in Hradek Nad Nisou in Czech Republic, and yielded first Tour titles for Jurij Rodionov (BLR) and Monika Kilnarova (CZE), who beat Joost de Wildt (NED) and Wiktoria Kulik (POL) respectively. Czech teams Jakub Patyk & Michael Vrbensky and Sabina Drabkova & Sara Vancurova won the doubles.
This week the Tennis Europe Junior Tour calls in on another nine cities, highlighted by the 16 & Under Category 1 Avvenire event in Milan, now in it’s 47th year. Keep up with all the latest draws and results here.