146 top players from 39 Tennis Europe member nations were in Parma, Italy, to participate in the European 16 & Under Championships from 23-29 September.
The unique format sees four clubs - TC Parma, TC President, Circolo del Castellazzo & Sporting Club Parma - co-host the opening rounds, with action moving exclusively to TC President from Thursday onwards.
The event has seen 13 former world #1 singles players and 14 former doubles world #1s among its past champions, with some of the biggest names in professional tennis - such as Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek and Holger Rune - claiming titles in recent years. The boys’ and girls’ singles champions will automatically qualify to compete at the elite season-ending Tennis Europe Junior Masters tournament in Monte-Carlo from 22-26 October.
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ℹ️Draws, Results & Information
🔗 Boys Singles | Boys Doubles | Bonus Draw
🔗 Girls Singles | Girls Doubles | Bonus Draw
🔗 Order of Play | Fact Sheet | 📷 Photo Gallery (© Adelchi Fioriti/FITP)
📺Live Streaming/Live Scores
Both services have now concluded.
📢Latest News - Day 7
29.09.2024 - 19:30 - ALEXANDRESCOU ENDS CHAVEZ'S RUN TO TAKE GOLD
Yannick Alexandrescou has won the boys’ singles title after a resounding win over tournament revelation, Tito Chavez. The fairytale run of the unseeded Spaniard came to an end after a dominating display from the Romanian, who took the title 6-2 6-1.
Grabbing a break in the opening game, Chavez sprinted to an early 2-0 lead before the Romanian brought it back to 3-2 in his favour. Exchanging long baseline rallies was the story of the opening stanza of the match until Alexandrescou broke twice more to take the first set 6-2, the latter half of which was filled with a slew of errors from the Chavez racquet. Despite saving three set points on serve, it was not enough for the Spaniard, as another forehand sailed beyond the baseline to give the set to Alexandrescou.
The second seed took this momentum into the next set, winning his opening service game to love with a dazzling down-the-line backhand. With ever-growing confidence, he let loose and increased his winner count to go up 2-0 before Chavez was finally able to end an eight-game losing streak by getting one of the breaks back. However, Alexandrescou’s impressive angles, defensive play when necessary and fantastic movement was in stark contrast to Chavez who seemed to be running on empty, perhaps understandably having played six exhausting sets the previous day. Alexandrescou broke back on another Chavez double fault to go up 3-1 and never looked back. After just 58 minutes Alexandrescou pounded an unreturnable serve down the middle to seal a 6-2 6-1 win that proved much more comfortable than their only previous meeting, at last month’s Summer Cups final rounds.
Alexandrescou thus becomes the third Romanian boy to win this event, and the first since 1990. That year Andrei Pavel took the title for while in 1989 Dinu Pescariu earned the same honour.
After the win, Alexandrescou charmed the crowd, saying, ““What a week, what a day! I love Parma! I was here last year but things didn’t turn out so good then, now I’m so happy I got to play here again and finally win! This place is amazing - the courts, the food, I love it! I’d love to come back next year but unfortunately I can’t...” The young Romanian has had plenty of practice with acceptance speeches this year: this marks his seventh title of the season, the other six coming on the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors.
29.09.2024 - 17:30 - GIAMBELLI BEATS DEPESOVA TO BECOME EUROPEAN CHAMP
Carla Giambelli is celebrating a second European Junior Championship title in as many days, adding the singles title to her doubles win of yesterday. She weathered some determined resistance from Slovakia’s Sona Depesova to win 7-6(4) 7-6(6) in exactly two hours.
Following an early break for Giambelli that was immediately cancelled out, the two players were almost inseparable during a first set that lasted almost an hour. The tie break followed the same pattern as the set, with the Italian scoring an early mini break before Depesova levelled up. But Giambelli’s formidable serve ultimately made the difference; the Italian managed to get 76% of her first serves in during the set, and confidently served an ace on her first set point at 6-4 in the tie break.
The second set was a almost a facsimile of the first with neither player able to establish a lasting advantage. When Depesova broke for 4-3 it only seemed to allow Giambelli to refocus, and the Italian struck back immediately. A tense tie break felt almost inevitable, and once again it was the Italian that was able to find the higher gear when it mattered. Not without a wobble though; if she had felt any pressure playing for the title in front of her home crowd, it showed just briefly, when Depesova was able to save four match points from 2-6 to level the tie break. An inspired down the line forehand passing shot set up a fifth match point, which Giambelli duly served out, etching her name in the history books as the third Italian girl to conquer Europe in this age category. She follows in the footsteps of Federica Bonsignore (1983) and Alice Canepa (1994).
After the match, a delighted Giambelli said, “I’m so, so happy! It was a really tough match, I didn’t play my best tennis, but at least I won! I want to thank everyone for the support and I hope to win a lot of more tournaments! This feeling is great!”
With the win, Giambelli automatically earns the right to compete amongst the Tour’s other elite players at the Tennis Europe Junior Masters in Monte-Carlo next month.
29.09.2024 - 14:00 - DOUBLES CELEBRATIONS
Carla Giambelli is preparing to take to the court for her singles final against Sona Depesova. Here's how Giambelli and partner Fabiola Marino celebrated claiming the doubles title late last night...
29.09.2024 - 11:00 - A GOLDEN DAY AHEAD
Today marks the final day of the European Junior Championships and we eagerly anticipate the exciting matches scheduled to begin at 3 PM.
Kicking off the action will be local favorite Carla Giambelli, who secured the doubles gold last night alongside partner Fabiola Marino. With the home crowd by her side, Giambelli will aim to claim another gold medal for Italy as she faces Slovakia's Sona Depesova.
Following the girls' final, the boys' final will feature second seed Yannick Alexandrescou of Romania against Spain’s Tito Chavez. Both have delivered impressive tennis throughout the week, setting the stage for a must-watch showdown.
Day 6
28.09.2024 - 21:10 - DOUBLES GOLD FOR ITALY & SPAIN
Carla Giambelli rounded off a great day for the host nation as she teamed with Fabiola Marino to claim doubles gold.
The pair beat top seeded Romanians Maia Burcescu & Giulia Popa for the title and become the first Italian winners since 1994, when Alice Canepa & Giulia Casoni lifted the trophy. Both players had expressed their joy at being able to play the final in front of a home crowd, and they made the best of starts. Recovering from 1-3 down, the Italians gradually exerted their dominance to lead 5-4, when a beautiful drop volley from Marino secured the first set.
The second followed a similar pattern, with the Romanians again winning three of the first four games before being pegged back. But this time they didn’t lose their edge, and held their nerves to push the final to deciding tie break.
With the pressure mounting on both teams, the decider was tense, with neither team able to build a lead. Giambelli served an ace to save the first match point at 8-9 before giving Italy their own with a forehand volley. The Romanians saved that, but the home team eventually clinched a 12-10 win on Marino’s serve.
With Giambelli guaranteed a gold or silver in tomorrow’s singles final, and Marino claiming singles bronze today, Italy will end the tournament with three medals.
Earlier on, and playing his sixth set of the day, Tito Chavez claimed the boys’ doubles gold for Spain, alongside partner Eudald Gonzalez.
In the final they faced 11th seeds Hryhorii Kartavenko & Dmytro Vterkovskyi of Ukraine and began confidently, breaking twice to claim the first set 6-2. The Spaniards had lost the second set in all four of their previous matches and the final was to follow the same pattern as the Ukrainians cut down on their errors and levelled the match 6-3.
But it was Chavez & Gonzalez who maintained their incredible record in champions’ tie breaks, holding on for a 10-7 win to bring the title back to Spain for the first time since Jaume Munar & Pedro Martinez won in 2013.
Despite the long scoreline, the match lasted just an hour, which will be a relief for Chavez as he continues his quest for singles gold tomorrow.
Join us from 3pm on Sunday to see if Giambelli and Chavez will claim their second golds.
28.09.2024 - 19:00 - GIAMBELLI, DEPESOVA, CHAVEZ & ALEXANDRESCOU INTO FINALS
The first boys’ semi saw Tito Chavez of Spain rack up his third consecutive upset of a seed. But he was pushed hard by Kaan Işik Koşaner of Türkiye, in a high quality match that lasted two and a half hours.
The opening set was a tight battle that went with serve until a sudden run of three consecutive breaks from game 9. Two of those were for Chavez, who put together a string of forehand winners to claim the set. Koşaner began the second set positively, a run of successful forays to the net enabling him to trade breaks with the Spaniard. As Chavez took the lead and worked his way to match point – not once but twice – the Turk fought back brilliantly to edge ahead and eventually level the match at 5-7 7-5, becoming the first player to take a set off Chavez all week.
The final set saw Chavez break immediately, maintaining his advantage throughout as Koşaner – a year younger than most of the rest of the layers in the draw – faded slightly. The left-handed Spaniard eventually ensured himself at least a second silver medal, powering through 6-2. Reflecting on the match, he told us, “It was pretty tough, this guy is very good. I really hope to win tomorrow, but for now I’m really happy about this win. Later I’ll play the doubles final, I’m excited to do it with my partner and I hope we take the title home for Spain.”
Meanwhile, over on Court 1, seventh seed Carla Giambelli became the first player to claim a place in the final with a diligent win over #13 Tiana Tian Deng of Sweden (pictured). The pair had met once before – at last month’s Summer Cups final rounds – where the Italian had also come out on top, with a similar scoreline.
As in the first boys’ semi, a run of three consecutive breaks ended the first set, with Giambelli claiming two of the three. Both players were struggling with their serves: each winning around 80% of their first serve points, but only around 20% of the points played on second serve.
Deng is no stranger to comebacks this week though, and she duly set about her recovery, breaking in the first game of the second set with a neat drop shot/lob combo. In the early stages she looked to have the momentum, but Giambelli’s patience eventually rewarded her. In the twelfth game, to the delight of the home crowd, she eventually smacked a forehand winner down the line on her second match point to wrap up a 6-4 7-5 win.
She told us, “I think I played really good today, Tiana is a very good player and it wasn’t easy, especially in the second set. I tried to play my best, especially when I was down 4-3 with her serve and she serves very well, but I’m really happy I managed to win… I love playing in Italy, with the crowd and this is such an important tournament, I’ll try my best to win.”
The second girls’ semi took exactly the same time to complete – 1 hour 37 minutes – but that included an unusual 10-minute break while maintenance staff attended to a net ‘malfunction’.
At that point, Slovakia’s Sona Depesova had just claimed the first set from home hope Fabiola Marino, breaking in the tenth game to establish a 6-4 lead.
When the players returned to the court she was quick to pick up where left off, breaking again in game three and never looking back, racing to a 6-2 second set and booking her spot in the final. She’ll be hoping to become Slovakia’s first girl to win this category since Andrea Sebova in 1996. Disappointment then for the Italian, but she still has the chance to claim gold in the girls’ doubles final later today.
The second boy’s semi was much longer than the scoreline would suggest, and saw second seed Yannick Alexandrescou eventually live up to his seeding by outlasting Austria’s Thilo Behrmann.
The Romanian gained the lead early on in set one and while most of the games featured multiple deuces, he was able to maintain his advantage, serving out confidently for a 6-4 lead.
The sixth seeded Austrian started the second in determined fashion, leading 3-1 before Alexandrescou levelled up. As in the first, each game was a mini-marathon, but the second seed managed to eke ahead and eventually save two break points as he served for the match. Given that he had lost just eleven games in four matches on his way to the semifinal, Behrmann can be satisfied to have claimed eight, in a match that clocked in at 2 hours 5 minutes.
He'll be hoping to end a long wait for Romania in tomorrow’s final: their last boy to win this title was Andrei Pavel in 1990.
28.09.2024 - 16:00 - LATEST...
Over to Instagram for the latest from our roving guest reporter, Cezar Bentzel...
28.09.2024 - 13:45 - LORENZI UNDERLINES FITP'S COMMITMENT TO JUNIOR TENNIS
Among the star visitors to Parma this week was Paolo Lorenzi, the former ATP #33.
Now known for his role as the Director of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia 1000 series ATP/WTA event at Rome’s Foro Italico, which this year incorporated a Tennis Europe Junior Tour 16 & Under tournament for the first time, Lorenzi praised the work of the organisers for the unique format in Parma.
“For the FITP young people remain a priority, as demonstrated by the organization of the European Championships and the novelty of the Internazionali’s Under 16 event. To continue to have top athletes in the coming years, it is essential to invest in new talents, also through competitions. In Parma I found a great atmosphere and a rare reality: I saw four clubs with incredible structures, which collaborate with each other for the success of these European Championships. I would call it an innovative project, to be repeated.”
It was announced this week that under Lorenzi’s supervision, the Junior Tour event in Rome will be promoted to ‘Super Category’ from 2025. The event will take on the status of one of the premier junior tournaments in Europe, and continue to provide a unique opportunity for Europe’s best young players to compete on the big stage alongside professional players from both tours.
Asked about his junior career, Lorenzi gave a timely reminder that junior success is not the only indicator of future greatness. “When I was a kid, I didn’t have the opportunity to play in the European Championships because in my year [1981] there were so many compatriots who were stronger than me at the time,” he said. “But then I still managed to have an excellent professional career. This is to remind youngsters to give the right weight to junior competitions: they are important, but they don’t decide anyone’s future”.
28.09.2024 - 11:15 - THE SEMIS ARE CALLING
We’re down to the business end of the tournament. These players are guaranteed the bronze but will fight it out today for a spot in the gold medal match:
BOYS
Today’s semi finals sees the Turkish player Kaan Işik Koşaner come through two tough matches, including an incredible upset of the top seed, to take on the Spanish giant killer Tito Chavez in potentially the most spectacular encounter of the day. The other semifinal will be a battle between the Austrian Thilo Behrmann and the Romanian second seed Yannick Alexandrescou, neither of whom have dropped a set all week.
GIRLS
With two big wins under her belt, one over the top seed and the other over last year’s 14&U European champion, Tiana Tian Deng (SWE) will face local favorite Carla Giambelli. The seventh seed has had a different road to the semis, posting a string of straight sets wins en route to today’s match.
Another Italian features in the remaining semifinal. Fabiola Marino will face Sona Depesova of Slovakia. The two Italians have already qualified for the doubles final, but will there be an all-Italian singles final? Stream the matches live from 2PM onwards to find out!
Day 5
27.09.2024 - 20:30 - DOUBLES FINALS SET
Semifinal action in the doubles draws, where all the players were of course guaranteed a bronze medal, has concluded.
Both of the boys’ semis went to the wire, with both finalists being decided in a match tie-break. Tito Chavez (ESP) and Ziga Sesko (SLO) faced off again after the Spaniard won their singles quarterfinal earlier. He was able to inflict a double blow for Spain in the doubles over the Slovaks.
The girls’ winners had an easier time with both teams advancing to the gold medal match in straight sets. Romania and hosts Italy, with both players also in the singles semis tomorrow, will battle for the gold.
Full results:
Hryhorii Kartavenko/Dmytro Vterkovskyi (UKR) d. Oliver Majdandzic/Christopher Thies (GER) 6-4 6-7(5) 10-7
Tito Chávez/Eudald González (ESP) d. Mark Becirovic Novak/ Ziga Sesko (SLO) 6-2 1-6 10-7
Maia Burcescu/Giulia Popa (ROU) d. Noelia Manta/Sarina Schnyder (SUI) 7-6(5) 6-3
Carla Giambelli/Fabiola Marino (ITA) d. Charo Esquiva/Mireia Sagristá (ESP) 6-4 6-4
27.09.2024 - 17:25 - KOSANER COMPLETES SEMI-FINAL LINE-UP
Kaan Işik Koşaner of Türkiye (pictured) took just under three hours to defeat Ferdinand Livet Novkirichka of France, becoming the last player to book their spot in tomorrow's semi-finals. After losing the first set 3-6, he came back to take the remaining sets 6-4 7-5 to set up an encounter with the tournament's giantkiller so far, Tito Chavez (ESP).
Likewise, Fabiola Marino also scored a stunning comeback over Antonia Stoyanov of the Netherlands. She will now join her Italian compatriot Carla Giambelli in the semifinals after her 1-6 7-6(4) 6-4 win.
In contrast the other girls QF match saw Sona Depesova (CZE) scored a straight sets win over Michelle Khomich (GER) 6-4 6-3.
The doubles semi-finals are currently taking place, more news to follow...
27.09.2024 - 16:00 - QUIET PLEASE, PLAYERS ARE READY...
The doubles semi-finals are about to be played...
27.09.2024 - 14:00 - DENG COMEBACK SECURES SWEDISH MEDAL
Tiana Tian Deng made an epic fightback to win a memorable quarterfinal with last year’s 14 & Under champion, Luna Vujovic. After a tense first set, Deng stepped up in the tie-break, conceding just one point to take the lead. This spurred Vujovic to raise her game, and the Serbian reduced her error count considerably to win the second set 6-3 and build a 5-2 lead in the third. But Deng showed nerves of steel to win five games in a row – including a run of 11 consecutive points – to eventually clinch her place in the semi-finals, 7-6(1) 3-6 7-5.
Deng told us, "(at 2-5) I wasn’t really thinking so much about the score, I was trying to play point by point, and yeah I managed to win. I had good energy and a good attitude at the end, I’m very happy. You have to believe in yourself even during tough times and never give up."
Carla Giambelli – carrying the hopes of the host nation - was the first player to secure a bronze medal, blasting past Emily Victoria Eigelsbach (GER) in exactly an hour of play. She and Deng will face off tomorrow for a place in the final.
Almost simultaneously, sixth seeded Austrian Thilo Behrmann completed a surprisingly easy 6-0 6-2 upset of Jan Sadzik (POL), the third seed. He will face Yannick Theodor Alexandrescou in tomorrow's semi-finals. The Romanian cruised past Christopher Thies (GER) for the loss of just three games to clinch at least a bronze medal.
Spain’s Tito Chavez is looking comfortable on the courts of Parma this week, easing to his fourth consecutive straight sets win, this time over 13th seed Ziga Sesko, 6-4 6-2. The Slovenian will have a chance for revenge shortly though, when the two return to court later today for their doubles semi-final.
Quarter final action continues in Parma, follow the action at the live streaming links above.
27.09.2024 - 09:20 - FINAL 8 TAKE THE COURT
Day 5 promises plenty of thrilling action from Parma with coveted semis spots up for grabs in the singles and medals ready to be decided in the doubles.
With the top boys’ seed upset yesterday by 2023 Junior Masters 14&U runner-up Kaan Işik Koşaner (TUR), the highest seed remaining in the top half of the draw is nº13 Zigo Sesko of Slovenia. Meanwhile, the bottom half of the boys’ draw sees only one unseeded player in the form of German Christopher Thies. He took out the 8th seed on Wednesday before posting another win yesterday over Spain’s Eudald González, whose compatriot, unseeded Tito Chavez (pictured), will take on Sesko. Another unseeded player, Ferdinand Livet Novkirichka (FRA) will take on Koşaner, while the only match featuring two seeded players facing off will be the battle between n°6 Thilo Behrmann (AUT) and third seed Jan Sadzik (POL).
Two Germans and two Italians make up half of the field in the girls’ quarters. Thirteenth seed Tiana Tian Deng (SWE) dismissed the top seed yesterday and is likely to face another challenge today against last year’s 14&U European Champion Luna Vujovic (SRB). The winner will play either seventh seeded local Carla Giambelli or Emily Victoria Eigelsbach (GER) in Saturday’s semifinal. The bottom half of the draw sees the seeded players Michelle Khomich (GER) and Antonia Stoyanov (NED) take on 2022 Junior Masters 14&U silver medalist Sona Depesova (SVK) and Fabiola Marino (ITA) respectively.
Day 4
26.09.2024 - 19:30 - QUARTERFINAL LINE-UP COMPLETE
After this morning’s mass exodus of top seeds, others were able to live up to their seeding and put a stop the carnage in the afternoon session.
Third seed Jan Sadzik (POL) saw off Hungary’s Marcel Kovaks for the loss of five games and will face Austrian Thilo Behrmann in tomorrow’s quarterfinals.
Although she’s unseeded, last year‘s 14&U European junior champion Luna Vujovic is making strides this year, going a little under the radar and moving deftly into the quarterfinals. The Serbian has defeated Tegan Bush of Great Britain in straight sets 6-3 6-3.
Number eight seed Michelle Khomich from Germany had a tough three set tussle, but eventually overcame Maja Pawelska from Poland 3-6 6-4 7-6(4).
In the remaining battles of the unseeded singles players, the results were as follows:
Boys
Ferdinand Livet Novkirichka (FRA) d. Gabriel Niedermeyr (AUT) 6-1 6-3
Christopher Thies (GER, pictured) d. Eudald González (ESP) 7-5 3-6 6-4
Girls
Fabiola Marino (ITA) d. Alja Senica (SLO) 7-6(5) 6-2
Emily Victoria Eigelsbach (GER) d. Sarina Schnyder (SUI) 4-6 7-6(2) 6-4
That rounds out the singles, and in the afternoon/evening doubles session, the following teams scored wins to advance to tomorrow’s semi finals (2 matches still pending)
Boys
Mark Becirovic Novak/Ziga Sesko (SLO)
Hryhorii Kartavenko/Dmytro Vterkovskyi (UKR)
Girls
Maia Burcescu/Giulia Popa (ROU)
Noelia Manta/Sarina Schnyder (SUI)
Charo Esquiva/Mireia Sagrista (ESP)
Carla Giambelli/Fabiola Marino (ITA)
26.09.2024 - 17:00 - WIN A DUNLOP CX400 RACQUET & BAG!
A reminder that you have until this weekend to enter Dunlop’s European Junior Championships competition to win an exclusive pack of Dunlop goodies.
Head over to Instagram for your chance to win exclusive Dunlop goodies...
26.09.2024 - 14:30 - TOP SEEDS EXIT COMPETITION
Flynn Thomas, the top seed, is currently Europe’s – in fact the world’s, top-ranked 16 year old, at #1 in the Tennis Europe rankings and #30 on the ITF World Tennis Tour (Juniors). However, today wasn’t his day to maintain dominance. Facing Kaan Isik Kosaner of Türkiye, Thomas easily secured the first set 6-0. But in a surprising turn of events, Kosaner responded by taking the second set with the same scoreline, 6-0. The final set was far more competitive, but Kosaner managed to pull ahead, securing a 0-6 6-0 6-4 victory.
Over at Club Parma, it wasn’t smooth sailing for Charo Esquiva Bañuls either. The top seed struggled against Sweden’s Tiana Tian Deng, who managed to upset the Spaniard with a 7-6 6-0 win.
The upsets continued as fifth seed Mark Ceban lost a hard-fought battle against Tito Chavez. After dropping the first set 5-7, Ceban led 5-4 in the second and was close to pushing the match into a third set. However, Chavez fought back, ultimately claiming victory 7-5 7-5.
Meanwhile, fourth seed Gonçalo da Rosa Castro (POR), who leads the Race to Monte-Carlo Rankings, was defeated by 13th seed Ziga Sesko (SLO). Sesko triumphed with the unexpected score of 6-0 6-2.
Other results:
Boys Singles
(2) Yannick Theodor Alexandrescou (ROU) d. (16) Nand Vandepoele (BEL) 6-0 6-1
(6) Thilo Behrmann (AUT) d. (9) Daniel Jade (FRA) 6-2 6-2
Girls Singles
Antonia Stoyanov (NED) d. (5) Giulia Safina Popa (ROU) 6-4 6-1
(7) Carla Giambelli (ITA) d. Beti Butina Jazbec (SLO) 6-0 7-5
Sona Depesova (SLO) d. Noelia Manta (SUI) 6-4 4-6 6-4
26.09.2024 - 09:00 - READY FOR ACTION
As the sun starts to peek out in Parma, players are preparing to take the court, ready to give their best in hopes of advancing to the quarterfinals. With each match, the competition gets tougher, and everyone is eager to make their mark.
Until they begin, take a moment to check out the updated gallery, where we’ve added more photos of yesterday's action. The full schedule for today is also available via the links above.
Day 3
25.09.2024 - 19:40 - ALL EYES ON THIES!
The event continues to deliver surprises and unexpected results. One of the biggest shocks came from Germany's Cristopher Thies, who stunned eighth seed Mark Becirovic Novak of Slovenia, a top contender in the Race to Monte Carlo rankings. Thies dominated the match, securing an impressive 6-0 6-0 victory.
Switzerland’s Noelia Manta also caused an upset, defeating 14th seed Iva Lakic (MNE) 6-2 7-6. Emily Victoria Eigelsbach of Germany added to the day's surprises by knocking out 15th seed Katerina Oustampasidou (GRE) 6-4 6-1. Meanwhile, the top seeds comfortably moved on to the next round. Flynn Thomas (SUI) overcame Nik Denotte (BEL) 6-3 6-2, while Charo Esquiza Bañuls (ESP) cruised past Anastasiia Sorska (UKR) 6-3 6-2.
The doubles competition was no exception to the day's surprises, with several upsets and most encounters finishing in a match tiebreak. Ukraine’s 16th-seeded duo, Polina Kuznietsova and Anastasiia Sorska, staged a comeback to defeat the #4 Dutch pair of Fleur De Bresser and Antonia Stoyanov 3-6 6-2 10-8. Meanwhile, unseeded French team Seda Baslilar and Daphnee Mpetshi Perricard eliminated #8 seeds Sofie Hettlerova and Veronika Sekerova (CZE) 6-1 2-6 10-7. In the boys' doubles, Bulgarians Dimitar Kisimov and Aleksandar Tolev triumphed over the 14th-seeded Cypriot pair Achilleas Makris and Alecos Timini 4-6 6-3 10-6.
The schedule for tomorrow is now available here.
25.09.2024 - 15:50 - EJCs: CRADLE OF LEGENDS
As we did at the 14 and 18 & Under events, let’s take a quick look at how influential the players of the 16 & Under tournament have turned out to be over the years. Former champions have gone on to amass 30 Grand Slam titles, the most recent of which is Carlos Alcaraz, whose currently tally stands at 1 European 16&U title (2018, he won't be winning any more) and four Grand Slams.
25.09.2024 - 12:20 - SCHNYDER OUSTS THIRD SEED BURCESCU
There are some significant results from the first matches on Day 3.
Switzerland’s Sarina Schnyder scored an impressive win over third seed Maria Ilinca Burcescu (ROU), her 6-3 7-5 victory being undoubtedly the morning’s biggest upset.
Luna Vujovic won the battle of 2023 European 14 & Under Champions, singles over doubles, with a straightforward 70 minute 6-2 6-3 victory over sixth seed Greta Nemcsek (HUN). The Serb next plays either Tegan Bush (GBR) or Kamilla Cernousova (LAT), who are currently warming up.
Poland’s #7 seed Jan Urbanski was forced to retire while trailing 2-6 1-4 to Gabriel Niedermayr of Austria. Niedermayr’s compatriot Thilo Behrmann followed him into the last 16 with a 6-2 6-3 win over Rihards Neimanis (LAT).
Behrmann next plays last year’s 14 & Under Junior Masters champion Daniel Jade, who survived a scrappy second set to beat Ivon Jovanovic (CRO) 6-2 7-6. Meanwhile, the current 16 & Under Race to Masters leader Goncalo da Rosa Castro was impressive against Italy’s Mattia Cappellari 6-4 6-2.
25.09.2024 - 08:50 - DAY 3 PREVIEW
Good morning from Parma, where the sun is shining, the courts are prepared and we’re ready for a third day of European Championship action. Matches begin at 09:30, when you can stream two show courts at the link above. There are some intriguing match-ups in store today…our pics for match of the day?
We’re keen to see the battle between last year’s 14 & Under singles and doubles champions, Luna Vujovic (SRB) and Greta Nemscek (HUN). Now ranked 35 and 24 at 16 & Under, the two have taken quite different paths since the EJCs last year, with Vujovic reappearing on the TE Junior Tour for the first time here, while Nemscek already has a couple of important 16 & Under titles under her belt this year.
On the boys’s side we’re curious about the battle between Victor Ryden (SWE) and second seed Yannick Alexandrescou (ROU). The Romanian leads their head to head 2-1 (3-2 if you include doubles), but lost their most recent singles match. That was two summers ago though, so this will be a good test of the progress of both players.
Catch the full schedule here.
Day 2
24.09.2024 - 21:35 - READY FOR DAY 3...
With play complete for the day, our photo gallery has been updated with dozens of shots of today's best action, including this pic of Raffaele Ciurnelli (ITA).
Play begins tomorrow morning at 09:30, and you check out the full schedule here.
24.09.2024 - 19:15 - PERRICARD & HETTLEROVA UPSET IN OPENING MATCHES
France’s second seed Daphnee Mpetshi Perricard became the biggest name to fall so far, ousted in three sets by Alja Senica. Ranked just #146, the Slovenian edged a colossal tussle which lasted just one minute under three hours. Interestingly, the pair will also face each in other in doubles tomorrow.
Also out is fourth seed Sofie Hettlerova of Czechia. Isabel Skoog of Sweden (pictured) won a three set battle for a second day in row. Yesterday she won twelve games in a row after dropping the first set 6-1. Today she won the first set 6-1 but went on to have a much tougher battle, eventually winning the third 7-5 after two and half hours of play. The Swede later teamed with Tiana Tian Deng for a 2-6 7-5 10-8 win over Poles Pawelska & Maja Wrobel in the doubles, and will no doubt be heading for this ice bath this evening.
In contrast, Spain’s Eudald Gonzalez is clearly in no mood to mess around this week. He today upset 10th seeded Luka Ceramilac (SRB) 6-1 6-0 and has now lost just one game in two singles matches.
Dmytro Vterkovskyi of Ukraine fought back from the brink of defeat to outlast 12th seeded Cezar Bentzel, the biggest upset of the boys draw today. The Romanian looked to be in control, winning the first set 6-4, but once Vterkovskyi wrested the second set on a tie-break there was no looking back, and the Ukrainian booked his place in the third round against Spain’s Tito Chavez.
Check the day's full results so far here.
24.09.2024 - 14:15 - TOP SEEDS ADVANCE
Both top seeds made a flying to start to their campaigns today, with both Flynn Thomas (SUI) and Charo Esquiza Bañuls (ESP) winning in straight sets.
Thomas is the world’s top ranked 16 & Under player, and looked confident in a 6-2 6-2 win over the promising Italian, Raffaele Ciurnelli, who earlier this year won one of the Junior Tour’s most prestigious 16 & Under events, the Internazionale d’Italia in Rome.
On the girls' side, Charo Esquiza Bañuls (pictured) returned to Parma with a point to prove. After last year’s quarterfinal upset, she’s determined to go further this time — possibly all the way to the gold.
Although the top seeds advanced smoothly, yesterday’s trend of upsets continues. Portugal’s Salvador Monteiro defeated Italy’s Francesco Pansecchi, the 15th seed, in a surprise victory 6-31 6-3. Meanwhile, Czech Tomas Krejci, last year’s gold medalist in doubles at the 14 & Under European Junior Championships, had a 6-4 6-4 win over 11th-seeded Marko Savija of Serbia.
Other results so far:
Boys Singles
(2) Yannick Alexandrescou (ROU) d. Aren Baybars (TUR) 6-3 6-1
(3) Jan Sadzik (POL) d. Omer Shamian 6-1 6-3
(5) Mark Ceban (GBR) d. Knut Andersch 6-3 7-5
(6) Thilo Behrmann (AUT) d. Leon Sloboda (SVK) 6-2 6-0
(13) Ziga Sesko (SLO) d. Ken Ink (EST) 6-0 6-1
(16) Nand Vandepoele (BEL) d. Amir Skrrijelj (BIH) 6-1 6-1
Girls Singles
(5) Giulia Safina Popa (ROU) d. Polina Kuznietsova (UKR) 6-1 6-0
(11) Antonia Stoyanov (NED) d. Lana Virc (SRB) 6-0 6-1
24.09.2024 - 10:15 - TOP SEEDS IN ACTION
There’s much to look forward to on Day 2, as all top seeds step into action. After witnessing some surprising upsets on the opening day, they’ll undoubtedly be eager to avoid a similar fate and assert their dominance early on. Matches will begin at 11 AM across the four tennis clubs in Parma, with a full schedule of exciting tennis ahead.
Check the links above for the order of play and come back at 11 for the live streaming.
Day 1
23.09.2024 - 20:45 - FIRST SEEDS SCATTER - DAY 1 SUMMARY
As Day 1 play concludes, here’s the link to the complete results so far from Parma.
The girls’ draw has already seen its first upsets: Tegan Bush of Great Britain lost just three games in beating 10th seeded Cypriot Nina Andonicou 6-3 6-0, #12 seed Eleonora Toneva of Bulgaria fought hard against France’s Seda Balilar before losing 6-1 6-7 6-1. And 9th seeded Italian Ilary Pistola will be disappointed to be out of the girls’ singles. Despite firing to a 6-3 first set lead, she was outlasted as Maja Pawelska (POL) snatched the second set on a tie break before eventually winning 3-6 7-6 7-5.
Some other notable results to remark on: the 2023 girls’s 14&U singles champion Luna Vujovic, and the boys’ doubles champions Tomas Jrejci & Jakub Kusy advanced in straight sets. Leonardo Ljubicic & Lenny Petit (pictured) put in a good day for Monaco, winning both their singles matches and then combining for a doubles victory, all in straight sets.
The most exciting match of the day saw 8th seeded Czechs Sofie Hettlerova & Veronika Sekerkova edge Romy Fohnen & Celine Weynen (BEL) 6-3 3-6 15-13. Sekerkova, a silver medallist in doubles in Most two years ago, had earlier lost a marathon singles battle 2-6 6-4 6-3 to Beti Butina Jazbec (SLO).
Play in Parma begins tomorrow at 11am, the order of play can be found here.
23.09.2024 - 15:40 - RAIN STOPS PLAY...BUT NOT COMPLETELY
It's raining in Parma, so unfortunately there's no live coverage on streaming at the moment. Some matches have been moved indoors though, so not all action has been halted.
Meanwhile, many national federations have been sharing pics of their teams at yesterday's opening ceremony on social media. We've added the complete line-up to our photo gallery, courtesy of Adelchi Fioriti/FITP. Take a look, and find your national team. Just shading the completely made-up award for 'Smiliest Team' is Great Britain, pictured below.
23.09.2024 - 13:15 - 'LOVE' IS IN THE AIR
It’s been a busy opening morning in Parma, with mixed results for the two home boys in action. Antonio Marigliano was on the receiving end of a bruising 6-0 6-0 loss to Eudald Gonzalez (ESP). Vurtually simultaneously, his compatriot Raffaele Ciurnelli beat Azerbaijan’s Tamerlan Karimov by the same score.
6-0 6-0 has been a common scoreline, with four matches ending in ‘double bagels’ so far. Five, if you count Isabel Skoog’s emphatic comeback in the girl’s singles, recovering from the loss of the first set to beat Anna Mattle (AUT) 1-6 6-0 6-0
Other results from this morning:
Boys:
Riehards Neimanis (LAT) d. Pablo Carrascosa (AND) 6-0 6-0
Knut Anderesch (SWE) d. Rati Beriashvili (GEO) 6-0 6-0
Leonardo Ljubicic (MON) d. Alecos Timini (CYP) 6-4 6-4
Oliver Majdandzic (GER) d. Snir Morag (ISR) 6-0 6-4
Olaf Zielinski (LUX) d. Lucas Eriksson (FIN) 6-7 7-6 6-2
Girls:
Ana Petkovic (CRO) d. Nita Skhiladze (GEO) 6-1 6-1
Emma Tuominen (FIN) d. Luca Kalman (HUN) 4-6 6-3 6-3
Greta Nemcsek (HUN) d. Milla Kotamaeki (GRE) 6-2 2-6 6-0
Kamilla Cenrousova (LAT) d. Mia Spirovska (MKD) 6-2 6-1
Emily Eigelbasch (GER) d. Nikolina Kovacevic (BIH) 6-1 6-2
23.09.2024 - 09:20 - READY..? PLAY!
As the curtain raises on the 2024 European 16 & Under Championships, today’s extensive schedule sees mainly first round singles and doubles matches.
Most seeds enter the singles competition tomorrow following a bye in the first round, though a few – including Italian 9th seed Ilary Pistola (pictured, in action at the Summer Cups finals a few weeks ago) – will take to the courts today.
A word of caution about the weather; some rain is expected to disrupt play this afternoon. But the forecast for the rest of the week is much more optimistic, with ideal playing conditions ahead.
Preview
22.09.2024 - 18:00 - LOOKING AHEAD...
A third and final week of European Junior Championship action begins on Monday morning, with a strong field assembled in Parma, Italy, for the 16 & Under event. It’s the second time that the city has hosted the event, with a unique format seeing early round matches played across four of the city’s clubs.
Flynn Thomas is back as top seed in the boys’ singles. Switzerland’s #1 will be hungry for singles gold after winning the doubles title last year.
Daniel Jade of France also makes a welcome return to the Tennis Europe Junior Tour. Winner of the Junior Masters in Monte-Carlo last year, and silver medallist at the 14 & Under Championships in Most, he’s been making waves on the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors this year, with two titles already under his belt.
Race to Monte-Carlo leader Goncalo da Rosa Castro of Portugal is seeded fourth and will be looking to consolidate his position as the battle for spots at the Junior Masters reaches its final stages.
Italy fields a strong boys’ squad including Matteo Capellari – winner of three 16 & under titles in 2023, Franceso Pansecchi – doubles champion and singles runner up in Milan this year, Antonio Marigliano – playing in Parma for a second year, and Raffaele Ciurnelli – singles and doubles champion at the Category 1 Internazionali D’Italia, played alongside the ATP & WTA event in Rome in May.
The girls’ top seed is Charo Esquiva Bañuls of Spain, who fell just short of a medal last year, losing in the quarter finals to eventual runner-up Mia Pohankova. Daphnee Mpetshi Perricard of France is seeded #2. She’s also making a second visit to Parma, having reached the fourth round last year.
Fifth seeded Giulia Safina Popa won a silver and a bronze medal at last year’s 14 & Under championships and will be looking to improve on Romania’s impressive haul of medals this year. Luna Vujovic of Serbia is another contender to go deep in the draw, and is the reigning European 14 & Under champion.
Carla Giambelli (seeded #7) and Ilary Pistola (#9) are the host nation’s top players. Pistola will be looking to repeat her previous successes on home soil, the most recent of which was a win at the Internazionali D’Italia in Rome.
The event officially kicked off on Sunday evening with an opening ceremony and a session of the Junior School, hosted by Tennis Europe's Manager of Junior Tennis, Stephanie Kamberi. The Junior School aims to prepare players for life as professional athletes, and is the only educational programme to be endorsed by the International Tennis Federation and the professional tours, the ATP and WTA.
