The 2012 edition of the sport’s biggest indoor team event, the Tennis Europe Winter Cups by HEAD, has come to a close with Great Britain, France and Czech Republic all winning titles for a second consecutive year.
The performances of the Czech girls were particularly impressive, with both the 14 and 16 & Under teams emerging victorious for the second time in three years. The 14 & Under title in Roznov pod Radhostem came at the expense of neighbours Slovak Republic. Denisa Cichova gave the hosts an early advantage, dropping just four games to Tamara Kupkova before Tereza Kolarova put in an almost equally dominant performance to beat Tereza Mihalikova 6-1 6-4 in one hour of play, capping an unassailable 2-0 win. The victory marks the fourth time since 1994 that the Czech Republic has won the 14 & Under girls’ title, more than any other nation except Russia, still a long way ahead with 9.
At the 16 & Under event in Frydlandt nad Ostravici, both Czechs scored wins over higher ranked opposition during their match with Russia, a repeat of last year’s final. The first match was key, with Kristyna Rouckova coming from a set down to outlast Anastasiya Rychagova 3-6 6-4 7-5, despite being ranked 129 places below the Russian. Katerina Siniakova then put the tie beyond the reach of the Russians, despatching Alina Silich 6-2 6-2 to secure the defence of the title. The 16 & Under team dominated at both the qualifying and final rounds, never losing a live match during the tournament. Rouckova and Siniakova, alongside teammate Sandra Matekova, join a select group of players to have won the Winter Cups more than once, having also played on the victorious 14 & under team in 2010.
The Boys 16 & Under finals in Ronchin, France, also led to a victory for the host nation. Runners-up in 2011, France went one better this time, beating Poland 2-0 to win the title for a record thirteenth time. Johan Sebastien Tatlot put the hosts ahead with a 6-3 7-5 win over Kamil Majchrzak before Quentin Halys sealed the win in style with a 6-1 6-1 demolition of Jan Zielinski. Halys also played on the winning 14 & Under team in 2010, before going on to lead the Summer Cups team to victory that year. Despite the loss, the Polish team can be pleased to have reached the final of a boys’ event at the Winter Cups for the first time ever.
The Boys 14 & Under final in Correggio (ITA) between Great Britain and Sweden was hotly contested, and was the only one of the four events to require a decisive doubles match. Jay Clarke had put the Brits in the driving seat with a 6-4 6-0 win over Filip Malbasic in the opening singles. Mikael Yemer then levelled the tie by beating Samuel Ferguson 6-2 6-3 (a second Yemer win of the weekend over Great Britain, as Mikael’s elder brother Elias Yemer had been instrumental in Sweden’s victory over the defending champions at the 16 & Under finals two days previously).
When the four players returned to the court, the Swedish team struck first, taking the first set 6-4 before the Brits mounted a fierce comeback, dropping just one game to level the match 6-1. The momentum stayed with the British pair during the final set, which they won 6-3 to ensure a Winter Cups title for their country for a third time in four years.
Sweden nonetheless made a huge impact on the competition, beating defending champions France in their very first qualifying match before winning the group and going on to score wins over Russia and top seeds Ukraine. The last time Sweden had reached the 14 & Under final prior to this year was in 1988.
Another nation to make an impression on the event this year was Turkey, who scored a shock victory over Russia to win their Girls 16 & Under qualifying group and qualified for the finals in two age categories for the first time ever.
Long established as the biggest indoor team event in tennis, the Tennis Europe Winter Cups by HEAD expanded even further in 2012, incorporating a 12 & Under event for the first time. The inclusion of the third age category meant that a total of 175 national teams took part in the competition.
Full draws and results from the qualifying and final rounds can be found here.
Photos from most of the venues can be found on the gallery.