Corentin Denolly (pictured) is the surprise figure in the semifinals of the European 18 & Under Championships in Klosters. The French lefthander is on a hot streak. One day after eliminating top seed Jaume Munar (ESP), Donelly prevailed after a demanding high-level match versus fifth seed Petros Chrysochos from Cyprus. Denolly eventually won the match 5-7 7-6(4) 6-4 and will now face another unseeded player, for a spot in the final after Daniel Windahl took out Johan Sébastien Tatlot of France with relative ease.
Denolly has had double luck. Firstly because France was awarded three spots in the draw as they have a Top 5 player (Quentin Halys), and secondly because the additional spot wasn’t originally meant to be given to Denolly, yet his performances in the past couple of weeks made the national selectors change their minds. Denolly has won junior tournaments in singles this month in the Netherlands and in Austria and triumphed also in doubles in Berlin. “Now, I have plenty of confidence and will try to go all the way but it will be difficult,” he said. An all-French final is possible as Halys is facing Russia’s Roman Safiullin in the other semi.
A ‘national championship’ final is also looming in the girls’ field, this time with the Spaniards. Paula Badosa Gibert took out her young friend Jil Teichmann from Switzerland and will now square off against Slovenian Tamara Zidansek, who continued her run by beating Fiona Ferro of France. In the other part of the draw, unseeded Sara Sorribes Tormo will play number seven seed Anastasia Khomardina from Russia.
The host nation has one medal guaranteed. Sarah Ottomano & Jil Teichmann advanced to the girls doubles semifinal with two straight sets wins. They will now try to advance to the final when they’ll play the seventh seeds from Great Britain.
16 & Under
Three of the top four seeds advanced to the boys’ 16 & Under semifinals in Moscow in straight sets. Reigning Junior Masters champion Mate Valkusz of Hungary led the way, conceding just three games to Marko Osmakcic of Switzerland. Valkusz will next play the current European 14 & Under champion, Corentin Moutet (FRA).
The second semifinal will pit second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece against Mikael Ymer of Sweden. Ymer, the 2012 14 & Under winner, lost just one game to current Race to Masters leader Bojan Jankulovski (MKD), while Tsitsipas beat Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) 6-1 6-4.
There were mixed fortunes for the two remaining Hungarian seeds in the girls’ event. Second seed Fanny Stollar wasted no time in beating Eliza Omirou (CYP), but Dalma Galfi fell in three sets to unseeded Hana Mraz of Slovenia. Mraz will face home hope Anna Blinkova in Saturday’s semis while Stollar wil take on unseeded Bulgarian Petia Arshinkova.
Stollar, who won the silver medal in doubles last year in Moscow, will have the chance to go one better when she teams up with Galfi afainst Russians Aleksandra Pospelova & Anna Kalinskaya. Alessandro Ricci & Patrik Rikl of the Czech Republic will take on Estonians Kenneth Raisma & Mattias Siimar in the boys final.
14 & Under
Both girls’ semifinals at the 14 & Under event in Pilsen will be Russia vs. Ukraine clashes. Top seeded Russian Olesya Pervushina will take on #12 Kataryna Zavatska while #2 seed Dayana Yastremska (UKR) will face #3 Anastasia Potapova. Interestingly, the four players will also face off in the doubles final.
Germany’s big guns edged closer to a final battle in the boys’ competition. Having won both the Tennis Europe Winter Cups by HEAD and Copa del Sol together already this year, Rudolf Molleker and Nicola Kuhn continued to make their mark at the European Championships.
Sixth seed Kuhn caused the upset of the day, ousting top seed and European #1 Yshai Oliel of Israel in straight sets. He’ll next face third seeded home hope Tomas Jirousek while the second semi final will see fourth seed Alen Avidzba of Russia face Europe’s #2 Rudolf Molleker.
Kuhn & Molleker will also go for doubles gold on Saturday against Jirousek and Czech compatriot Evzen Holis.