Hosts Great Britain (boys) and Czechia (girls) have captured this year’s 12&U Winter Cups by Dunlop titles, Europe’s biggest indoor team tennis event. The Brits won the final against Poland, while the Czechs overcame Latvia.
This year welcomed the 11th edition of the event, which saw a three-year hiatus from 2021-2023 as well as a welcome return to Sunderland (GBR) last year. In fact, the city is the first to host both the boys’ and girls’ Final Rounds, doing so for the second year running.
HIGHLIGHTS
- It was Team Great Britain’s third appearance in a boys’ final and second victory, with their previous win coming in 2013 with a team consisting of Jack Draper, Jacob Fearnley and George Loffhagen.
- At least one of the winners’ trophies remained in Britain, following the girls’ win on home soil last year. This year it was the turn of the boys to do the locals proud.
- Czechia, playing in their sixth final, notched a 4th win at this event, thus equalling Russia’s record of 6 finals for 4 wins
- Both Poland and Latvia were first-time finalists
BOYS’ FINAL
Great Britain defeated Poland 3-0
Great Britain’s Road to the Final
Zone B Qualifying Rounds:
R1 Bye; R2 lost to Czechia 1-2
Final Rounds:
QF def Romania 3-0; SF def Denmark 3-0; F def Poland 3-0
Poland’s Road to the Final
Zone B Qualifying Rounds:
R1 def Austria 3-0; R2 def Croatia 2-1; Qualifying Final def Czechia 2-1
Final Rounds:
QF def Türkiye 3-0; SF def France 2-1
The hosts imposed themselves early on with Tomas Gabor scoring a swift 6-1 6-3 win over Leon Miarka. Then, Kai Max Hodkinson secured the title for the home team also for the loss of just four games, with a 6-4 6-0 victory against Kajetan Kosonski. In the doubles Gabor & Cameron Rae proved too strong for Miarka & Jakub Sylwestrzak dominating the Poles 6-2 6-0. Having lost in qualifying and advancing to the final rounds by virtue of being the host nation, the Brits had a point to prove. And did they ever, coming through the final rounds undefeated in all matches.
GIRLS’ FINAL
Czechia def Latvia 2-1
Czechia’s Road to the Final
Zone B Qualifying Rounds:
R1 def Moldova 3-0; R2 def Germany 2-1; Qualifying Final def Ukraine 3-0
Final Rounds:
QF def Greece 3-0; SF def Croatia 2-1; F def Latvia 2-1
Latvia’s Road to the Final
Zone C Qualifying Rounds:
R1 def Belgium 2-1; R2 def Poland 2-1; Qualifying Final def Greece 2-1
Final Rounds:
QF def Great Britain 2-1; SF def Finland 2-1
Tereza Vychodilova put the Czechs up 1-0 taking the first rubber 6-4 6-1 against Nikola Kapulina. However, the Latvians were not done for yet, with their number one Tina Jansone getting things back on an even keel with an equally impressive 6-4 6-0 win over Nicole Kurylova. The number ones returned to the court for a live doubles to decide the final. In the end, Kurylova & Sara Spackova defeated Jansone & Heidija Saulite 7-6(3) 6-2 to claim the title for Czechia.
FINAL STANDINGS
BOYS
- Great Britain
- Poland
- France
- Denmark
- Romania
- Türkiye
- Italy
- Serbia
GIRLS
- Czechia
- Latvia
- Croatia
- Finland
- Greece
- Austria
- Great Britain
- France