Day 2 of the European Junior Championships saw the top seeds enter the 14 and 16 & Under competitions after first round byes. While most of the young guns had a smooth passage into the third round, there were several major surprises.
Switzerland’s Ylena In-Albon caused the biggest splash, edging past top seeded Olesya Pervushina in Moscow to end the talented Russian’s hopes of a home victory. Last year’s 14 & Under finalist Pervushina looked to have recovered when levelling the match with a 6-2 second set, but In-Albon held on through a tense final set to eventually triumph 7-4 in the tie break.
The boys’ event also saw a shock as German third seed Nicola Kuhn – reigning 14 & Under Junior Masters champion and one of the youngest players to currently hold ATP ranking points - won just four games against France’s Matteo Martineau.
Marko Miladinovic of Serbia has been in fine form on the Tennis Europe Junior Tour so far this season, losing just two of 21 matches, but Belgium’s Zizou Bergs was not overwhelmed, breezing past the fourth seed with a 7-5 6-2 win.
Other seeds to fall included #7 Jakub Paul (SUI), beaten by 2013 Junior Masters champion Samuele Ramazzotti (ITA) and last week’s Category 1 Dema Cup champion Leonid Sheyngezikht (BUL), who fell to Spain’s Andres Fernandez Canovas.
At the 14 & Under event in Pilsen, another Spaniard was making her presence felt as Carlota Martinez Cirez took out second seed Anna Laguza (UKR) in three sets. Oona Orpana of Finland beat second seeded Russian Polina Krupchenko 7-5 6-3, while Italy’s Federica Rossi brushed past eighth seeded Pole Maja Chwalinska 6-3 6-3.
The top seeds had no such troubles in the boys’ event. Top-ranked Timofey Skatov needed three sets to get past Tim Tekavec (SLO), but progressed by the unusual score of 6-0 4-6 6-0, but was the only one of the top ten boys’ seeds to drop a set.
Tomorrow’s forecast is for temperatures of up to 37º in Pilsen, so the players will be hoping for quick matches when play gets underway at 10am.
Draws and Results
14 & Under
Boys Singles | Boys Doubles | Girls Singles | Girls Doubles | Order of Play | Photos
16 & Under
Boys Singles | Boys Doubles | Girls Singles | Girls Doubles | Order of Play | Photos
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