The third edition of the European Seniors Championships took place from 7-11 July in Sofia, where the tournament was hosted by the Bulgarian Tennis Federation and played at the National Tennis Centre and the nearby Dema Club.
Over 200 players took part in the event, including three of the ITF Senior Circuit’s current world #1s and 26 other Top Ten players.
The first category to be settled was the women’s 35s, where home player Biljana Pawlowa-Dimitrova successfully defended her title, finishing ahead of Germany’s Jessica Schmidt in the round-robin event. World #4 Daniel Dolbea made a push for the top of the men’s rankings by beating German compatriot Carsten Groeger in straight sets to claim the men’s 35s title.
The 40s events saw more success for German men, as Gerhard Fahlke strengthened his position as world #1 with a crushing 6-0 6-0 win over home hope Yuri Donchev. Meanwhile world #2 Ana Salas-Lozano of Spain put in an equally impressive display in the women’s event, losing just two games to Diane Guns (BEL) to secure the title.
The men’s 45s title went to a Finnish player for the second time in three years. On this occasion Alexander Lindholm upset top seed Jorgen Aberg (SWE) in a match between two of the world’s Top 15 players.
Defending champion Konstantinos Effraimoglu was forced to withdraw from the men’s 50s event, paving the way for an all-Austrian final in which Manfred Hundstorfer conceded just five games to Alexander Jahn. Ingrid Gutmann-Resch added to the Austrian domination by claiming the women’s title over Barbora Koutna.
In the 55s events, Eva Bogar Szabo of Hungary ended the reign of Gunda Weiland (GER), while top seed Pierre Godfroid of Belgium successfully defended his title over Karl Pansy (AUT).
Spain swept the Over 60s titles. Javier Lazcano Hernandez scored a series of upsets to take the men’s title, beating the top three seeds and both of the 2013 finalists en route to the title. In the final he beat world #5 and defending champion Bruno Renoult (FRA) 6-2 7-6(7). Last year’s 55s runner-up Encarnacion Gomis Ruiz then claimed the women’s gold medal by finishing above Dagmar Sperneder of Austria in the round-robin.
Another run was ended in the men’s 65s, where defending champion Valentin Raus of Romania was outlasted by third seed Gerd Dahmen of Germany in three sets in the final. Heidemarie Oehlsen made it a German double by repeating her win in the 2013 final over Pinuccia Sacchi Caridi (ITA).
The70s categories saw two legends of seniors tennis extend their record breaking tallies of European titles. Austria’s Peter Pokorny was made to work hard by Peter Adrigan in a final between the world´s top two players, but eventually triumphed in three sets. Meanwhile, Heide Orth, recently recognised by the ITF for her outstanding achievements in seniors tennis, claimed another title by topping her round-robin group with ease.
Sweden’s Rolf Westman defended his men’s 75s title with a win over top seed Heinz Abernig (AUT), while the most senior of all titles, the men’s 80s, went to the most senior player - Henri Crutchet of France, who conceded just three games to Russia’s Gabriel Ryzhevskiy. Unseeded Ryzhevskiy had beaten defending champion Angelo Sala (ITA) in a match tie-break in the first round.
The European Championships is a Grade B1 event on the ITF Seniors Circuit and offers 210 ranking points to the winners, making the event the biggest in Europe in terms of points available. A full list of results and winners can be found below:
Draws and Results
Men's Singles | Women's Singles | Men's Doubles | Women's Doubles | Mixed Doubles
Photo Gallery
Men's Singles
M35 – (1) Daniel Dolbea (GER) d. (2) Carsten Groeger (GER) 6-3 6-1
M40 – (1) Gerhard Fahlke (GER) d. Yuri Donchev (BUL) 6-0 6-0
M45 – (2) Alexander Lindholm (FIN) d. (1) Jorgen Aberg (SWE) 7-6(3) 6-3
M50 – (2) Manfred Hundstorfer (AUT) d. (3) Alexander Jahn (AUT) 6-3 6-2
M55 – (1) Pierre Godfroid (BEL) d. (2) Karl Pansy (AUT) 6-3 6-0
M60 – (5) Javier Lacanzo Hernandez (ESP) d. (1) Bruno Renoult (FRA) 6-2 7-6(7)
M65 – (3) Gerd Dahmen (GER) d. (1) Valentin Raus (ROU) 6-3 4-6 6-1
M70 – (1) Peter Pokorny (AUT) d. (2) Peter Adrigan (GER) 6-1 3-6 6-3
M75 – (2) Rolf Westman (SWE) d. (1) Heinz Abernig (AUT) 7-6(6) 6-4
M80 – (1) Henri Crutchet (FRA) d. Gabriel Ryzhevskiy (RUS) 6-3 6-0
Women's Singles
W35 – 1. Biljana Pawlowa Dimitrova (BUL), 2. Jessica Schmidt (GER)
W40 – (1) Ana Salas Lozano (ESP) d. (2) Diane Guns (BEL) 6-1 6-1
W50 – 1. Ingrid Gutmann-Resch (AUT) 2. Barbora Koutna (CZE)
W55 – 1. (1) Eva Bogar Szabo (HUN), 2. Gundula Weiland (GER)
W60 – 1. (1) Encarnacion Gomis Ruiz (ESP), 2. Dagmar Sperneder (AUT)
W65 – (1) Heidemarie Oehlsen (GER) d. (2) Pinuccia Sacchi Caridi (ITA) 6-1 6-0
W70 – 1. Heide Orth (GER), 2. Renata Nadge (GER)
Men's Doubles
M35 – (2) Cyganek/Groeger (GER) d. Dolbea/Hoerburger (GER) 6-2 6-1
M40 – 1. Campi (ITA)/Fahlke (GER), 2. Nissinen/Rossi (FIN)
M45 – (1) Aberg (SWE)/Braeuer (AUT) d. (2) Lassman (AUT)/Valeinis (LAT) w/o
M50 – 1. Hundstorfer/Pansy (AUT), 2. Heckmanns (FER)/Maciocha (POL)
M55 – 1. Lazcano Hernandez/Molina Ramos (ESP), 2. Tarran (GBR)/Zaprianov (BUL)
M60 – (1) Haupt-Buchenrode/Hellmondseder (AUT) d. Heller (SUI)/Sundh (SWE) 7-6(2) 6-4
M65 – (2) Adrigan/Dahmen (GER) d. (1) Atrokov (RUS)/Vozbutas (LTU) 6-2 6-3
M75 – 1. Sala (ITA)/Tarapacki (POL), 2. Boureanu (ROU)/Olkkonen (FIN)
Women's Doubles
W55 – 1. Bogar Szabo (HUN)/Wieland (GER), 2. Baks/Jelsma (NED)
Mixed Doubles
X35 – 1. Pawlowa-Dimitrova/Jossifov (BUL), 2. Livina/Abele (LAT)
X45 – 1. Zakurdaeva/Nunikyan (RUS), 2. Schueler (GER)/Ohn (ISR)
X50 – 1. Gutmann-Resch/Bauer (AUT), 2. Koutna/Ettler (CZE)
X55 – 1. Friedl (AUT)/Renoult (FRA), 2. Gomis Ruiz (ESP)/Godfroid (BEL)
X60 – (1) Sperneder (AUT)/Raijmakers (NED) d. Toth (AUT)/Stoltmann (LUX) 6-0 6-3
X70 – 1. Nadge (GER)/Muehlenberg (AUT), 2. Baks (NED)/Baronyan (BUL)