Lucas Miedler and Sara Sorribes Tormo have been crowned as the new 16 & Under European Junior Champions after an upset-filled week of play in Moscow.
12th-seeded Miedler was in blistering form throughout the week, advancing to the final without the loss of a set amid a storm of surprising results which saw just five of the sixteen seeds reach the fourth round. Ending the hopes of the last home player, Daniil Medvedev, in the quarterfinals, Miedler went on to concede just three games in the semi-final to Israel’s Tal Goldengoren.
On the other side of the draw Johan Sebastien Tatlot had also been making steady progress, announcing his intention to become the third consecutive French boy to win the title after a 6-4 6-4 win over second seed and 2011 finalist Elias Ymer (SWE) in the semi-finals.
The championship decider proved to be the toughest match of the tournament for both players. Miedler took the first set with a 7-2 tie break win but was unable to close out the match in the second, as Tatlot broke serve in the twelfth game to level the match. But the Austrian regained his composure in the final set, taking it 6-4 to become the first player from his country to win the 16 & Under title since Stefan Koubek in 1993.
In the girls singles, Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo went one better than her 2011 runner-up spot, clinching the title with a 6-4 6-3 win over second seed Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic.
Unseeded this year, Sorribes Tormo had to navigate her way past several tricky opponents on route to the final, beating the in-form Aliona Bolsova (MDA), third seed Elizaveta Kulichova (RUS) and another home favourite, Veronika Kudermetova (RUS), all without the loss of a set.
Siniakova had recovered from the brink of defeat against Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) in a marathon quarterfinal and went on to score a decisive 6-2 6-2 win over Italy’s Giulia Pairone in the semis to set up the title match with Sorribes Tormo. The Spaniard was always in control of the final, capitalising on a break midway through each set to ease to a 6-4 6-3 win which makes her the fourth Spanish girl to claim the title in the 37-year history of the event.
Siniakova can take some consolation in winning the doubles title alongside Kristyna Rouckova. The Czechs fought back from the loss of the first set to beat Ukrainian pair Anhelina Kalinina & Kateryna Sliusar 3-6 7-5 10-8.
The boys doubles was won by Swedish pair Daniel Windahl & Elias Ymer, who beat the reigning 14 & Under champions Bogdan Borza & Nicolae Frunza of Romania 6-4 6-3. The pair follows in a long line of successful partnerships for Sweden at the Championships, with their six previous winners including Thomas Hogstedt & Mats Wilander and Stefan Edberg & Jonas Svensson.
Draws and Results
Boys Singles | Boys Doubles | Girls Singles | Girls Doubles | Photos