Tennis Europe News - Issue 143 by Tennis Europe

Issue 143 April

I 2019

2019 Tennis Europe Annual General Meeting in Malta

The 45th Annual General Meeting of Tennis Europe ended on a note of strength and unity, as the regional association sent a message of frustration to the sportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s governing bodies, while readmitting Moldova to the European tennis family following a period of instability for the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s federation. Contemporary issues affecting the administration of the sport were high on the agenda. Delegates took advan-

tage of several interactive sessions and panel discussions to discuss hot topics such as Davis Cup reform, the forthcoming International Tennis Federation elections, the ITF World Tennis Tour and live scoring/betting with key decision makers. The Open Session of the Meeting featured presentations from ITF President David Haggerty, COO Kelly Fairweather and the Executive Director of ITF Circuits, Jackie Nesbitt.

Inside this issue Tennis Europe Annual General Meeting in Malta . . . . . . . . . . . . 01 France retains European Tennis Trophy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 04 ATP 500 Hamburg Open to crown European Champion . . . . . 06 Tennis Europe Winter Cups by HEAD round-up . . . . . . . . . . . 07 ITF/Tennis Europe 14&U Development Championships . . . . 11 Senior Tennis News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 European Beach Tennis Championships in Bulgaria . . . . . . . . . 13 Tennis Europe Junior School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Les Petits As . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Tennis Europe Junior Tour Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 European Tournament Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

2019 Tennis Europe Annual General Meeting in Malta The Plenary Session was led by Tennis Europe President Vladimir Dmitriev, who provided his annual report before ceding the floor to the organisation’s CEO Thomas Hammerl. The CEO began by highlighting the importance of recognition from players and agents for the work done by national federations and went on to give an overview of Tennis Europe’s current projects. The Committee Chairs Christiane Jolissaint (Development), Eva-Maria Schneider (Junior Tennis), Attila Richter (Senior Tennis) and Allar Hint (Professional Tennis) then gave updates on each field of activity. Honorary Treasurer David Rawlinson reported on Tennis Europe’s positive financial performance over the past year and the projected accounts and budget were unanimously approved.

Tennis Europe President Vladimir Dmitriev.

Following the Meeting, Tennis Europe issued a statement with a unanimous appeal from the national federations present for the restoration of ATP ranking points at lower-level ITF World Tennis Tour events. Hosted in Valletta by the Malta Tennis Federation from March 29-30, the Meeting saw attendance from 106 delegates representing 41 national federations, just shy of 2018’s record.

Tennis Europe Development Committee Chair Christiane Jolissaint.

Tennis Europe CEO Thomas Hammerl.

Mr. Dmitriev and Mr. Haggerty were joined by Malta Tennis Federation President David Farruggia Sacco for an audience with Maltese Prime Minister and supporter of the sport, Joseph Muscat, prior to the opening of the meeting. Friday evening’s official dinner also saw ceremonies to present the Tennis Europe Awards, and European Tennis Trophy, which was won for a second successive year by France. Mr. Dmitriev commented, “This has been a successful meeting and I am very pleased with the confidence expressed by the delegates in the work carried out by Tennis Europe over the past year. Such high levels of

Tennis Europe Board of Management.

2019 Tennis Europe Annual General Meeting in Malta

Tennis Europe Awards The awards are presented for lifetime contributions/ outstanding achievements and were presented to nine winners:

Photo: KNLTB

The Presidents of Tennis Europe, ITF and Malta TF meet Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.

Jacco Eltingh presents 2017 winner Jan Siemerink and Richard Krajicek (2018) with their Tennis Europe Awards.

attendance and engagement are encouraging, and we are very happy to provide this platform for our member nations to express their opinions. I’d especially like to thank Mr. Haggerty and his team from the ITF for their presence and contributions. Finally, on behalf of everyone that attended, I’d like to thank our hosts for their extraordinary hospitality and flawless organisation.”

• Gayane Movsisyan (ARM) • Thomas Koenigsfeldt (DEN) • Aita Pöldma (EST) • James Keothavong (GBR) • Richard Krajicek (NED) • Vladimir Gorelov (RUS) • Jorge Camiña Borda (ESP) • Cagla Buyuycakcay (TUR) • Andrey Lutsenko (UKR)

Thomas Koenigsfeldt receives his Tennis Europe Award.

2018 European Tennis Trophy • Overall Performance: France • Professional Tennis: France • Junior Tennis: Czech Republic • Senior Tennis: Germany • Wheelchair Tennis: Netherlands • Most Improved Nation: Croatia • Best Performing ‘B’-Nation: Croatia • Best Performing ‘C’-Nation: Latvia

The Meeting ended with confirmation that the 2020 event will be held in Crete and hosted by the Hellenic Tennis Federation. A full photo gallery from the AGM can be found here

Bernard Giudicelli collects France’s European Tennis Trophy Overall Performance and Professional Tennis awards.

France wins third consecutive European Tennis Trophy Tennis Europe has announced the winners of the European Tennis Trophy, the annual awards devised to recognise the performances of players and teams representing the regional association’s 50 member nations throughout the year. The recipients of the 2018 Trophies are as follows:

• Overall Performance - FRANCE • Professional Tennis - FRANCE • Junior Tennis - CZECH REPUBLIC • Seniors Tennis - GERMANY • Wheelchair Tennis - NETHERLANDS

France has secured a hat trick of main titles, winning the award for Overall Performance for a third consecutive year. The win can be attributed to Top 5 finishes in all four contributing sub-categories, and sees France strengthen its position as Europe’s leader in terms of tennis performance. The win draws France level with Russia as the nation to have won the overall prize on most occasions, with 7 each since 1991, when the Trophy was created. France also won the Professional Tennis Trophy for a third straight year with a comfortable lead over second-placed Czech Republic. The Czechs scored a notable win by picking up the Junior Tennis Trophy for the first time since 2001, thereby ending Russia’s 7-year reign in this category. The Trophy rewards a season in which Czech juniors won 4 European team events and dominated the rankings. Two awards are back in the hands of perennial winners: Germany has won the Seniors Tennis Trophy every year and 2018 was no exception, while the Netherlands recaptured the Wheelchair Tennis Trophy, which it relinquished to second-placed Great Britain in 2017 for the first time. Other exceptional performances came from Croatia, the nation to make the biggest leap (from 15th to 6th overall)

and Latvia (rising from 24th to 16th). Meanwhile Andorra can celebrate earning its first ever European Tennis Trophy points. Tennis Europe President Vladimir Dmitriev announced the results, commenting, “The European Tennis Trophy recognises the efforts of players and teams representing their countries, and in doing so acknowledges the behind the scenes work of all the staff at national federations who make these successes a possibility. 2018 was another excellent year for European tennis and we are proud of the continued progress being made, particularly by many of the smaller and developing nations. I’d like to congratulate all nations, but especially our champions, for this renewed vindication of their work.”

FRANCE DRAWS LEVEL WITH RUSSIA AS THE NATION TO HAVE WON THE OVERALL PRIZE ON MOST OCCASIONS, WITH 7 EACH SINCE THE TROPHY WAS CREATED IN 1991. French Tennis Federation President Bernard Giudicelli commented, “I am particularly pleased that Tennis Europe is rewarding France once more, for Overall Performance and Professional Tennis. The implementation of the ‘Act and Win’ programme, which sums up my commitments to make the French Tennis Federation an ambitious, hardworking and future-oriented federation, bears fruit. It is encouraging to see that the result of our work in the field of training and the accompaniment of athletes is grounded in continuity and is not the mere chance of an exception. We were so impressed this year by the excellent results of our juniors during the summer and by our first participation in the Youth Olympics, which proved to be very fruitful and rich in teaching for our young players. Europe is a fertile breeding ground that allows many players, rich in their social differences, varied personalities and playing styles to flourish and succeed. It is our mission, our responsibility, as National Association leaders, to put in place the conditions that will allow each talent to express themselves and to flourish.” The awards will be presented at a special ceremony during the Annual General Meeting of Tennis Europe in Malta in March. For further information about the European Tennis Trophy, including details of how the points are awarded, click here

France wins third consecutive European Tennis Trophy

European Tennis Trophy Ranking 2018 (2017) 1 (1) 2 (4) 3 (3) 4 (2) 5 (5) 6 (15) 7 (7) 8 (12) 9 (6) 10 (11) 11 (9) 12 (10) 13 (13) 14 (14) 15 (8) 16 (24) 17 (20) 18 (16) 19 (17) 20 (21) “ (18) 22 (23) 23 (19) 24 (22) 25 (27) 26 (26) 27 (28) 28 (32) 29 (30) 30 (34) 31 (25) 32 (33) 33 (29) 34 (38) 35 (31) 36 (36) 37 (37) 38 (35) 39 (39) 40 (41) 41 (42) 42 (40) 43 (41) 44 (43) “ (41) “ (41) “ (41) “ (41) “ (41) “ (41)

Nation

Professional Tennis

Junior Tennis

Seniors Tennis

Wheelchair Tennis

TOTAL

France

2906

1621.5

178.5

404

5110

Czech Republic

2144

2079

4307

Germany

2105

105

1363

3670

Russia

1499

1672

151

256

3578

Spain

2087

838

125

3139

Croatia

1697

1035

2742

Italy

1180

836

168

2242

Netherlands

771

178.5

222

793

1964.5

Great Britain

671

395

315.5

557

1938.5

Belarus

867

740

1627

993

382

110

137

1622

Belgium Switzerland

824

437

77.5

1368.5

Serbia

669

627.5

1296.5

Romania

864

342

42.5

1248.5

Ukraine

558

628

1204

Latvia

337

606

973

Slovak Republic

739

217

956

Austria

233

163.5

479

925.5

Poland

198

526

811

Bulgaria

132

599.5

731.5

Hungary

410

270

51.5

731.5

Denmark

148

399

96.5

655.5

Sweden

215

160

154.5

583.5

Slovenia

358

116

474

Greece

246

52.5

351.5

Portugal

160

91.5

256.5

Estonia

224

234

Turkey

159

213

Bosnia & Herzegovina

167

196

Lithuania

62.5

184.5

Israel

22.5

120

174.5

Georgia

130

150

Luxembourg

145

FYR of Macedonia

101

Finland

12.5

97.5

Norway

27.5

75.5

Moldova

Cyprus

Montenegro

Armenia

Ireland

Malta

1 0

Andorra Albania

Azerbaijan

Iceland

Kosovo

Liechtenstein

Monaco

San Marino

23795

15718

4009

2745

46267

European Tennis Champion to be crowned at ATP Hamburg Open The ATP 500 Series event in Hamburg will be known as the Hamburg Open European Championships from 2019, when Tennis Europe, the European Tennis Federation, awards the prestigious title to professional players for the first time. The news was announced by Tennis Europe President Vladimir Dmitriev, Organiser Peter-Michael Reichel and Tournament Director Sandra Reichel at the event’s launch in the German city last month, along with a wave of other innovations. Organisers plan to stage both ATP and WTA tournaments in 2020, allowing for Open European champions to be crowned on both professional tours. Tennis Europe President Vladimir Dmitriev commented, “I’d like to congratulate Mr. Reichel and his team on their ambition and commitment as they work to ensure that this event continues its path to becoming

European Tennis Championships launch in Hamburg.

Tennis Europe President Vladimir Dmitriev and Tournament Director Peter Michael Reichel.

the world’s leading ATP 500 Series tournament. Tennis Europe’s involvement in top-level professional tennis for the first time is a milestone, but our presence in Hamburg also affords us the opportunity to meet and work with leaders from our member nations at what will be a true festival of tennis and a reference point in the international tennis calendar.” Tennis Europe currently administers over 1,200 tennis events across the continent each year, from the Tennis Europe Junior Tour to ITF World Tennis Tour and Seniors Circuit tournaments. Until now, European Championship events have been held for junior players aged 14, 16 and 18 & Under (and feature over 20 current and former world #1s amongst the previous winners), and for seniors of all age categories, from 35 & Over to 85 & Over. The new event completes the portfolio of European titles.

Klosters to continue to host European Junior Championships Tennis Europe has confirmed that the Swiss resort of Klosters will continue to host the flagship European 18 & Under Championships. The European Tennis Federation’s President Vladimir Dmitriev and Swiss Tennis President René Stammbach signed a three-year agreement which ensures that the event will stay at its traditional home until at least 2022. The Championships have been held in Klosters every year since 1994 (except 2006-2009), during which time they have seen a number of future world #1s in action, including Roger Federer and the first ever champions crowned at the venue; Martina Hingis and Carlos Moya.

Vladimir Dmitriev and René Stammbach in Zurich.

Czech Republic & Russia maintain 12&U Winter Cups dominance The Czech Republic and Russia continued to dominate the 12 & Under Tennis Europe Winter Cups by HEAD by claiming victory at the final rounds of the indoor team competition once again. So tight is their stranglehold on both the boys’ and girls’ titles, that in the past four years no other nation has managed to lift either trophy. The Czech boys were utterly dominant, managing to keep a clean sheet during the finals as well as qualifying. Undefeated in this event since 2016 and playing on home soil in Veska, they were too strong for Italy, defeating the visitors 2-0 in the final to take their fourth title. Meanwhile, the Russian girls overcame the Bulgarians, who were playing in their maiden final, 3-0 to also notch their fourth win.

Boys 12&U winners Czech Republic.

THE FINAL ROUNDS

BOYS: Veska, Czech Republic

The Czechs sent a powerful message to their Italian rivals when Jan Kumstat got his nation off to a strong start by beating Federico Cina 6-0 6-2 in just 51 minutes. Yannick Thierry Ngantcha Lliso put up more of a resistance for Italy in the second rubber, but in the end was not strong enough to defeat Maxim Mrva. The Czech won 6-4 6-4 to seal the win for the home team. With victory confirmed for a fourth consecutive year, the doubles was not contested.

GIRLS: Sunderland, Great Britain

Russia took an insurmountable 2-0 lead in their final against Bulgaria with decisive straight sets wins in both singles rubbers. Alina Korneeva defeated Yoana Konstantinova 6-4 6-1, after which Mirra Andreeva saw off Rositsa Dencheva 6-1 6-3 in just over an hour. Andreeva then teamed up with Dana Pozhidaeva to down Konstantinova & Elizara Yaneva 6-1 6-1 to complete a 3-0 whitewash in the final.

The Czech 12&U team celebrates victory in Sunderland.

The domination in numbers • The Czech boys have now won the event 4 years in a row: 2016-2019 • They have also won 4 titles overall • The Russian girls have been in 5 finals • They have won 4 titles overall: 2012, 2013, 2017, 2019 • In the past 4 years these powerhouse nations of tennis have split the last eight boys’ and girls’ title between them • 6 of those 8 have gone to the Czech Republic, 2 to Russia

ROAD TO THE FINALS

Czech Republic, Great Britain and Italy celebrate after the final day of the Boys 12&U competition.

A total of 62 national teams took part in the competition’s qualifying rounds, which were held at 7 venues across Europe. The Czech boys went undefeated in qualifying, which they also had the luxury of playing at home, in Hradek and Nisou. In fact, they only lost one rubber - a technicality in the finals of qualifying when they handed Belgium an inconsequential walkover in the doubles, having already clinched an unassailable lead in the tie. Prior to that, they had beaten both Portugal and Lithuania 3-0. In the

Tennis Europe Winter Cups by HEAD

12&U Tennis Europe Winter Cups by HEAD Rank

12 & Under Boys

Czech Republic

12 & Under Girls

Russia

Italy 02

Bulgaria

Great Britain

Romania 04

France

Russia 05

Romania

Czech Republic

Poland

Bulgaria 07

Slovakia

Belgium 08

Ukraine

final rounds, they defeated Bulgaria and then Romania by the same scoreline before downing Italy in the final. The Russian girls were equally dominant in their qualifying event, scoring 3-0 victories over Lithuania, Latvia and France in Tallinn, Estonia. Off to another strong start at the final rounds, they defeated Slovakia 3-0, before being seriously tested by the host nation in the semis. Great Britain went up one rubber to nil before Russia came back to win the second singles, with Andreeva sneaking past Hephzibah Oluwadare 7-6(5) in the third set tie break of their singles to get things back to 1-1. The doubles went the way of the Russians, and after their scare in the semis, they were in clinical mood in the final, sweeping all three matches in straight sets as mentioned.

France and Russia score 14&U Winter Cups wins France and Russia have won this year’s 14 & Under Tennis Europe Winter Cups by HEAD by claiming victory at the final rounds of the indoor team competition of the boys’ and girls’ events respectively. The Czechs just failed to defend their girls’ title against the Russian girls, who scored a 12th win, avenging last year’s final defeat in the process. So dominant has the team been that it has made 16 appearances in the last 20 finals, and since 2013 Russia has featured in every final except in 2016. In the boys’ competition, France has claimed a first win since back-to-back victories in 2010-11, while Romania advanced to the final for the first time ever at this event.

THE FINALS

Boys (Veska, CZE): France 2 - Romania 0

The French #4 Gabriel Debru (ranked 49) got things off to a flying start, taking out David Alexandru Gheorghe 6-1 6-0 in 51 minutes. His teammate and French #1, Antoine Ghibaudo ranked #13, secured the title by upsetting the fourth-ranked Romanian #1 Mihai Alexandru Coman 6-2 6-4. With the doubles uncontested, the French boys lifted this trophy for the seventh time.

Girls (Rakovnik, CZE): Russia 2 - Czech Republic 1

Urged on by their home crowd, the Czechs had a battle on their hands from the outset. 13th-ranked Yaroslava Bartashevich up-ended the Czechs’ plan with an upset over Brenda Fruhvirtova. The match turned out to be an epic battle, and after three hours and ten minutes the Russian was the victor, posting a comeback 5-7 7-6(3) 6-3 win. This win boosted the Russians’ confidence as 5th

The domination in numbers • The Czech boys have now won the event 4 years in a row: 2016-2019 • First ever final for Romania in this age group • 14th final for France - 7th win • France were finalists in 2013 and 2015 • France last won in 2010-11 • Russia has now won 12 titles • Russia present in 16 of the last 20 finals • This is the Czech Republic’s fifth runner-up trophy Boys 14&U champions France in Veska.

Tennis Europe Winter Cups by HEAD

14&U Tennis Europe Winter Cups by HEAD Rank

14 & Under Boys

France Russia

Romania

14 & Under Girls

Russia 03

Switzerland

Belgium 04

Ukraine

Serbia

Great Britain

Czech Republic

Germany 06

Romania

Great Britain

Team Russia celebrates after securing the Girls 14&U title.

Belarus

final, they defeated the host nation 2-1 to finish atop Group B. In Veska, the French boys had taken out Great Britain in the quarter-finals 2-1, with the tie being decided in a tense doubles championship tiebreak. They then outplayed Russia 3-0 in the semis to qualify for their 14th final.

Switzerland

Croatia 08

ranked Anastasiia Gureva came out of the blocks strong against sixth-ranked Kristyna Tomajkova. The Czech #2 put up more resistance in the second set, but Gureva held out for a 6-1 7-5 win to seal the tie 2-0 for the Russians and take the title back from the Czechs on their own turf. Understandably exhausted and with the win already confirmed, the doubles was not played, handing the Czechs a consolation walkover win.

ROAD TO THE FINALS At the qualifying rounds in Germany, France took out Luxemburg 3-0 before seeing off Ukraine 2-1. In the qualifying

The Russian girls got their campaign off to a strong start in qualifying in Budapest, defeating Finland then Hungary 3-0. They lost to Great Britain in the qualifying final to finish 2nd in their qualifying group. This loss pitted them against Group D winners Belarus in the first round of the finals. They saw off their neighbours 3-0 before qualifying for the final over Switzerland, clinching the deciding doubles rubber 10-6 in the championship tiebreak.

Russia sweeps 16&U Winter Cups titles Russia has dominated the field, winning this year’s 16 & Under Tennis Europe Winter Cups by HEAD in both the boys’ and girls’ events. The girls defended their title from last year after coming back from a 0-1 deficit against Belarus. The boys, meanwhile, took the title off the hands of last year’s champions, France. The 16 & Under category is an event in which Russian teams continue to thrive - this is the girls’ 10th win overall (eleven if counting one win as part of the USSR), while the boys lift the trophy for a fourth time.

THE FINALS

Boys (Ronchin, FRA): Russia 2 - France 1

Russia’s Igor Kudriashov defeated Joshua Dous Karpenschif in a come-from-behind 3-6 6-1 6-2 win. Aristarkh Safonov gave the Russians an unassailable 2-0 lead after grinding out a tough win over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, taking the rubber 4-6 6-3 7-6(5) to seal an impressive comeback under pressure for the Russians. The French will have rued the missed opportunities in

Boys 16&U champions Russia at the opening ceremony in Ronchin.

the singles, and as the four players took to the court for the doubles Les Bleus were determined to get a win in front of their home crowd. Even though it was a dead rubber, the atmosphere and intensity were anything but, as the French managed to score a win for pride, taking the doubles 6-4 4-6 10-7.

Tennis Europe Winter Cups by HEAD

16&U Tennis Europe Winter Cups by HEAD Rank

16 & Under Boys

Russia Russia

16 & Under Girls

France 02

Belarus

Italy

Czech Republic

Poland 04

Netherlands

Sweden 05

Germany

Germany 06

Ukraine

Bulgaria 07

Serbia

Serbia 08

Poland

Girls (Brest, FRA): Russia 2 - Belarus 1

Jana Kolodynska got Belarus off to a fantastic start in the final, posting a 7-5 1-6 6-1 win over Polina Kudermetova. Third-ranked Oksana Selekhmeteva got things back on track for Russia, with a straightforward 6-2 6-1 victory over #18 Aliona Falei. The four players were on court again to play out the deciding doubles rubber. In the end, it was a subdued affair, with the Russians proving too strong, taking the match, final and title 6-3 6-1.

ROAD TO THE FINALS In Group C qualifying in Kazan, Russia, the locals were in their element. A 2-1 win over Lithuania followed by 3-0 wins over Italy and Sweden led the Russian boys to qualify in top spot in their group. At the final rounds,

they had scored 2-1 wins in the quarters and semis over Germany and Poland respectively to advance to the final against France. With a bye in qualifying in Kazan, the Russian girls defeated Turkey 2-1 in the semis followed by Germany by the same score line in the final to win qualifying Group C. Russia came in strong in the finals in Brest with a 3-0 win over Ukraine in the quarters. They were handed an easy path to the final against Italy as the Italian team was hit by illness, giving Russia another 3-0 win. A total of 188 national teams were in action over the last month across the Winter Cups’ three age categories. Complete results can be found here

The domination in numbers • Russia has notched its 10th win in the girls’ event • Russia (girls) has been in all finals since 2011, except in 2017 • The Belarussian girls were last in the finals in 2006 and 2010 • Belarus (girls) last won in 2004 • The Russian boys have now won 4 titles: 2003, 2013, 2016 and 2019 • The French boys have amassed 15 wins in this category • They have finished runners-up 10 times • France (boys) won the title last year

Teams at the Girls 16&U final rounds in Veska, won by Russia.

ITF/Tennis Europe Development Championships The 2019 ITF/Tennis Europe Development Championships in Antalya, Turkey were held from 6-15 March. The two successive tournaments saw eight different players from four nations crowned as champions. The Development Championships is a special event, devised to provide high-level international playing opportunities for top 14 & Under players, and in the past has seen players such as Simona Halep, Victoria Azarenka, Grigor Dimitrov and Marcos Baghdatis earn some of their first international ranking points. This year, there were 40 players from ten Tennis Europe member nations in action: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Georgia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Turkey. Top seeded and 19th-ranked Jana Stojanova was the big winner over the two weeks, appearing in all four finals. Arguably the most experienced player in the field, having been a Category 1 doubles winner at Renningen, Germany and a week 1 finalist here in 2018, the player from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia had all the cards stacked in her favour going in to the event and she did not disappoint. She took both singles titles as well as claiming both doubles runner-up trophies. In Week One she defeated her compatriot Iva Jovanova 6-4 7-5 in the singles final, while in the Week Two decider, she saw off Bulgarian fifth seed Aleksandra Gabrovska 7-5 6-2. In the doubles, the Macedonian pairing fell short twice, bowing to the Turkish combination of Ela Sekmen & Duru Soke in both finals. Turk Atakan Karahan was the star of Week One, winning both the boys’ singles and doubles. He defeated second seed Kanan Gasimov of Azerbaijan in the semi-finals before scoring a come-from-behind win over Marko Stoilkovski (MKD) 5-7 6-4 6-1 in the final. He partnered compatriot Anil Ozgur to win the doubles over Bulgarians Pavel Marinov & Anas Mazdrashki. The Bulgarians got their revenge in week two, however, turning the tables on the Turks in the second final. Top seed Marinov also fared better in the sin-

Players on court.

gles in Week Two, making his way to the final, having fallen to Stoilkovski in the quarterfinals of the first event. He was conquered in the final by Edin Mulalic, the previous week’s semi-finalist, and another one of Stoilkovski’s victims from that week, going down 7-5 6-1 to the Bosnian.

WINNERS WEEK 1 Boys’ singles: Atakan Karahan (TUR) Girls’ singles: Jana Stojanova (MKD) Boys’ doubles: Atakan Karahan & Anil Ozgur (TUR) Girls’ doubles: Ela Sekmen & Duru Soke (TUR) WEEK 2 Boys’ singles: Edin Mulalic (BIH) Girls’ singles: Jana Stojanova (MKD) Boys’ doubles: Pavel Marinov & Anas Mazdrashki (BUL) Girls’ doubles: Ela Sekmen & Duru Soke (TUR) The Development Championships were hosted for a tenth consecutive year by the Turkish Tennis Federation and held in conjunction with a number of other development activities, which included a 12 & Under Training Camp, an ITF Tutors’ Workshop and a session of the Tennis Europe Junior School.

Opening ceremony.

ITF announces plan to revolutionise Seniors Tennis The ITF has announced a raft of innovations for 2019, aimed at increasing the profile of the ITF Senior Circuit. The sport’s governing body has published a Strategic Plan for 2019-2021, which it will implement in pursuit of its mission of making Senior Tennis the leading sport in terms of player participation. The ITF hopes that the new plan will lead to a larger and stronger circuit, providing more playing opportunities to players of all ages and strengths. As part of the process, the ITF is set to explore the creation of the new events and formats, allowing tournament organisers the possibility to stage events with more flexible draws and score formats in order to complete events over shorter time periods. With three-quarters of ITF Senior Circuit players currently participating in 2 events or less each year, the ITF will also introduce a new IPIN fee system which is more beneficial for players that only play a few tournaments each year.

ITF SENIOR CIRCUIT IN EUROPE Europe has traditionally been at the centre of the ITF Senior Circuit, with 300 of the 430 events held in 2017 taking place within Tennis Europe’s 50 member nations. Given the goal of improving the global balance of events, the Circuit’s new tournament structure – to be implemented for 2020 – will have some significant consequences for our region. With regret, and after over 40 years of history, the ITF together with Tennis Europe has taken the decision to change the format of the prestigious European Championships competition. In terms of ranking points, the ITF World Championships will be the highest rated category. Below this, a new Elite Tier tournament series will be introduced, with 1-3 events per region. This will be followed by the well-known major ITF Seniors Circuit events. The previously designated ‘Regional Championship Closed’

Heidi Eisterlehner of Germany is one of the Circuit’s most successful players.

The four main tenets of the Strategic plan are: • Expansion of Seniors Tennis Circuit • Improvements to existing Seniors Circuit tournaments • Renewed focus on marketing, communications and promotion (new Seniors website, new digital services) • Strengthening of the existing World Championships events (RC) status events – such as the European Championships - will now be open to all players from around the world. The upcoming edition of the European Senior Championships will be staged in Pörtschach, Austria, from 1016 June 2019 with the new ‘Open’ format, and is therefore expected to attract many of the best players from around the world. Further information about forthcoming changes - including a revised rankings system - will be revealed by ITF throughout the 2019 season. To read the ITF’s Strategic Plan summary, click here

2018 Senior Players of the Year Many new faces feature amongst this year’s list of Tennis Europe Senior Players of the Year. Amongst them is Dimitri Poliakov, who becomes the first ever Ukrainian Player of the Year, and Iva Saric, just the third Croat to claim the title. Two players completed a hat-trick of titles in their current age groups; Roberto Mendez Ferre (ESP) and Ellie Krocke (NED), while Bruno Renoult of France and Jorge Camiña Borda of Spain also retained their titles from 2017. Camiña Borda also recently received a special Tennis Europe Award in recognition of his outstanding achievements on the Senior Tennis circuit. Player of the year titles are awarded to the top-ranked Europeans at the end of each season. Medals and certificates were handed over to representatives of the winners’ national ten-

35 & Over 40 & Over 45 & Over 50 & Over 55 & Over 60 & Over 65 & Over 70 & Over 75 & Over 80 & Over 85 & Over

Iva Saric (CRO).

Dmitri Poliakov (UKR).

nis federations at Tennis Europe’s Annual General Meeting in Malta in March.

MEN

WOMEN

Luca Serena (ITA) Roberto Menendez Ferre (ESP) Clemens Weinhandl (AUT) Dimitri Poliakov (UKR) Konstantinos Effraimoglou (GRE) Norbert Henn (GER) Bruno Renoult (FRA) Jorge Camina Borda (ESP) Peter Pokorny (AUT) Giovanni Argentini (ITA) Jaime Furio (ESP)

Iva Saric (CRO) Stefanie Kolar (GER) Valentina Padula (ITA) Klaartje van Baarle (BEL) Laura de Vittori (ITA) Dagmar Anwar / Sabine Schmitz (GER) Nora Blom (NED) Ellie Krocke (NED) Susy Burggraf (SUI) June Pearce (GBR) Sabine Leflaive (FRA)

European Beach Tennis Championships in Bulgaria Tennis Europe has announced that the thirteenth edition of the European Beach Tennis Championships will be staged in Bulgaria later this year. The event returns to Bulgaria for a fourth time and will be held over a four-day period from 5-8 September. It is a closed regional championship on the ITF Beach Tennis Tour, at which players representing Tennis Europe’s member nations compete for men’s, women’s and mixed doubles titles. This year’s event will also feature two ‘Beach Tennis Championships for Juniors’ side-events. The tournaments will be held prior to the main event (2-4 September) with competitions for players aged 14 & Under and 18 & Under. “We are really looking forward to welcoming the players of the European Championships back to Bulgaria for a fourth time. We’re currently finalising all the plans and

want to make sure that this is the best edition yet,” commented Tournament Director Katerina Guenova. Last year’s competition saw a total of 136 players from 21 countries in action. Theo Irigaray & Mathieu Guegano of France backed Irigay & Guegano celebrate their 2018 win. up their sensational semifinal win over world #1s and defending champions Luca Cramarossa & Marco Garavini to become the first ever non-Italian winners of a men’s European Beach Tennis Championship title. The women’s final was another rematch of a 2017 final, as Sofia Cimatti & Flaminia Daina took revenge on compatriots and top seeds Federica Bacchetta & Giulia Gasparri. At the 18 & Under event, all three gold medals were claimed by Italian teams.

lamangaclub.com

Tennis Academies for all the Family

FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE SPANISH FED CUP TEAM AND TRAIN ON THE COURTS AT LA MANGA CLUB THIS SUMMER. 3

Up to 15% discount on accomodation when you book any of our tennis academies

times the size of the Principality of Monaco

International training base and family tennis destination

Las Lomas Village

PrĂncipe Felipe

4* apartments

2000m2 of

wellness centre

5* Hotel

More than 15 bars and restaurants

Professional tennis coaching and academies for players of all levels

28 court multi-surface tennis centre

Murcia / Spainl

The Tennis Europe Junior School has enjoyed a successful launch, with on-site classes delivered at Category 1 events in Tarbes (FRA) and Stockholm (SWE), as well as at the Development Championships in Antalya (TUR). A brand-new new player education programme, the School has been created in consultation with the sport’s governing bodies and is tailored to help inform the Tennis Europe Junior Tour’s promising young athletes about issues that affect them, and to provide them with the life skills necessary for a career in professional tennis. The programme will be delivered at a series of interactive in-person workshops which will run throughout 2019 and are scheduled for Tennis Europe’s biggest events in the 14 and 16 and under age groups. It includes specially-created videos, with advice from experts from across tennis and other sports, including the WTA, ATP, International Tennis Federation professionals, manufacturers, management companies and agencies, plus players of all ages and levels as well as some of the world’s most accomplished coaches. “Player education is something which is a big priority for Tennis Europe, as it is for all the governing bodies within our sport,” Thomas Hammerl, CEO of Tennis Europe explained. “We are in a privileged position to be able to give these amazing young athletes a foundation of knowledge from an early age, which they can build on throughout their careers and as they become more experienced. We see this as part of our responsibility as custodians of junior tennis in Europe.” The Tennis Europe Junior School is the first athlete education programme that specifically targets players in this age group and will focus on making the sessions and the videos as interactive, engaging and accessible as possible. They will cover a range of topics including:

• Anti-doping • Agents and sponsorship • Tennis Integrity • Coaching • Safeguarding • Nutrition and hydration • Support team • Physical wellbeing

Tennis Europe Junior School Tennis Europe worked with London-based sports media consultancy The Emilia Group to create the Tennis Europe Junior School, drawing on The Emilia Group’s extensive experience in junior tennis and in athlete education. “We’ve always been really passionate about player education and we know it’s a passion that we share with Tennis Europe,” said Faye Andrews, Director at The Emilia Group. “We are really proud to be working to help the tennis players of the future as they take their first steps towards being successful and fully-rounded professionals.” Tennis Europe Junior Tour events are the first step for young players outside their home country and are an essential stepping stone on the journey to becoming

a professional tennis player and competing on the ITF, ATP and WTA Tours. The remaining venues for on-site classes in 2019 are: Torneo 16 & Under Avvenire – Milan (ITA) European 14 & Under Championships – Most (CZE) European 16 & Under Championships – Moscow (RUS) European 18 & Under Championships – Klosters (SUI) Tennis Europe Junior Masters – Reggio Calabria (ITA) For more information about the Junior School, or to view the current series of video clips that has been specially created for the programme, click here

Notes from Tennis Europe The 2019 Tennis Europe Specific Theme Conference will be hosted by the Belarus Tennis Federation in Minsk from 22-25 May. This year’s topic will be National Training Centres. For further information, please contact Maciej Szymonski. The Tennis Europe Junior Tour and Pro Tennis Conference will take place in Milan, Italy, during the Next Gen Finals in early November. Official invitations will be sent to member nations in due course. The Top Executives’ Meeting will be held in Madrid, Spain, during the week of the Davis Cup finals (18-22 November). Exact dates and further information will follow. The latest issue of the European Racquet Stringer Association’s ‘Pro Stringer’ magazine is online here

Contact Us TENNIS EUROPE Zur Gempenfluh 36 CH-4059, Basel Switzerland Tel: +41 61 335 9040 Fax: +41 61 331 7253 Email: contactus@tenniseurope.org Web: www.TennisEurope.org To subscribe to Tennis Europe News, simply send an email to contactus@tenniseurope.org.

Czechs on top at Les Petits As The Tennis Europe Junior Tour’s biggest event Les Petits As celebrated its 37th edition recently with another great week showcasing the best junior talent at the world’s leading 14 & Under tournament.

With a set-up and team larger than that of even some professional tournaments, Les Petits As is a place where juniors can start to feel what it is like to play before large crowds. With interviews, press conferences and photo calls, the players experience a taste of the demands that fall upon the shoulders of a tennis player. This year’s tournament also hosted a meeting of Tennis Europe’s Junior Committee, and saw the inaugural session of the Tennis Europe Junior School, which educates young players about aspects of life as a professional player.

A throng of over two thousand spectators each day descends upon the grounds in Tarbes for a chance to see the stars of tomorrow in action. With areas devoted to the ‘fan experience’ as well as a fervour among spectators jostling for autographs, Les Petits As is not a regular junior tournament. It is an event, and an important stepping stone for players hoping to reach dizzying heights later in their professional careers.

Boys champion Vojtech Petr (CZE).

THE GIRLS’ FINAL The girls’ final was a much-anticipated battle between the Tennis Europe Junior Tour’s top two players. On this occasion, the #1 at the time of writing, Linda Fruhvirtova, was simply too strong for Sofia Costoulas of Belgium. The final encounter lasted a mere 41 minutes, and there was not much that Costoulas could do as her Czech opponent was unrelenting, conceding just one game. Both players had advanced to the final without much drama, but in the end, it was the Czech player who was able to deliver the goods.

The surprises • Top seed and in-form Belgian Alexander Blockx, recent winner in Bolton, was upset in the round of 16 by unseeded Fabio Nestola (GBR). The Brit in turn went down to Antoine Ghibaudo (FRA) in the quarters. • Ghibaudo, a local wildcard entrant, made some noise at his home event, battling his way through to the semi-finals, before falling to the runner-up Nawaf. • German Marc Majdandzic, recent Kremlin Cup champion, was upset in Round 1 by unseeded American Cooper Williams 6-1 6-4. • Riding high from her recent run to two Category One finals, including the winner’s trophy in Ryazan, Elena Pridankina fell in the first round to Italian Anna Paradisi.

Linda Fruhvirtova (CZE) celebrates her win.

Czechs on top at Les Petits As

THE BOYS’ FINAL In contrast the boys’ final was a tense three-set affair, with the winner’s trophy again falling in to Czech hands. Having dropped the first set, eleventh seed Vojtech Petr broke Rashed Nawaf of Qatar at 4-4 in the second to level the match. A hotly contested third set, full of emotion and grit showed just how much this match meant to both players. There was plenty of gesturing and screaming from both sides of the net to pump themselves up. Crucially, an exchange with the umpire seemed to have spurred on Nawaf, breaking Petr for a 5-3 lead. Some brave shot-making and big winners allowed Petr to immediately break back and eventually take the match to a tiebreaker. A missed Nawaf backhand on match point sealed the deal for Petr, whose 4-6 6-4 7-6(1) victory is the biggest win of his young career.

THE DOUBLES Kyle Kang & Cooper Williams defeated second seeded Blockx & Gilles Arnaud Bailly (BEL) 7-6(2) 6-3 to

lift the doubles trophy. It was a fitting ending for the Americans, who had earlier conquered top seeds Mihai Alexandru Coman (ROU) & Patrick Schoen (SUI) in the quarterfinals. The unseeded pairing of Kayla Cross (CAN) and Katherine Hui (USA) dismissed top-seeded Russians Yaraslova Bartashevich & Anastasiia Gureva on route to the girls’ final. There they met the ubiquitous Linda Fruhvirtova, who teamed up with younger sister Brenda. Unseeded, the siblings blasted their way through the draw to the final and were once again unstoppable as they eased to a 6-4 6-2 win over Cross and Hui. Considering that the roll of honour of previous Tarbes winners is essentially a ‘who’s who’ of professional tennis, it is somewhat surprising that no Czech player had ever won a singles title in Tarbes until now. The Fruhvirtova sisters’ win in the girls’ doubles gave the nation a total of three wins from the four categories.

FAST FACTS The three most important features when purchasing tennis shoes are comfort, specific design for tennis, and weight. Of those who wear HEAD shoes most often, 44% paid between €76 and €125.

74% of those who wear HEAD shoes more than any others plan on buying HEAD shoes again. Source: Core Tennis Players Survey (2018)

The HEAD Revolt 3.0 is a premium performance shoe that combines optimum comfort with stability for the most secure feel. We let the shoe do the talking.

Tennis Europe Junior Tour Promotional Tools for Organisers Tennis Europe Junior Tour tournament organisers are using our customisable free-of-charge ‘Brand Hub’ tool to promote their events on social media and in print. The range of available assets includes templates for posters, magazine/brochure articles, social media posts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), leaflets/flyers and e-mail footers. The busy summer season is just around the corner, so don’t miss the opportunity to make your tournament shine. Check out the Tennis Europe Junior Tour Tournament Director download page, or contact Filip Kollar (filipk@tenniseurope.org) for further information and assistance.

Service Line... stories you may have missed EVENTS The schedule has been announced for the new-look Davis Cup finals, which will be held in Madrid from 1824 November 2019. 18 teams will compete in six initial groups of three. The six group winners plus the two second placed teams with the best records - based on percentage of sets won, followed by games won, then points won - will advance to the quarterfinals. All four semi-finalists will progress directly to the Davis Cup Madrid Finals in 2020. The two teams with the worst record after the group stage will be relegated to their respective Zone Group I tiers next year. The 12 remaining teams will compete in the 2020 Davis Cup Qualifiers. Fed Cup by BNP Paribas semi-finals: France will host Romania in Rouen at the 5,210 capacity Kindarena, while Belarus travels to the Pat Rafter Arena in Brisbane, Australia. The World Group play-off matches all see European teams in action: In Group 1 top seeds Czech republic host Canada, Switzerland travels to the USA, Latvia host Germany and Belgium host Spain. Group II sees Russia host Italy, the Dutch team travels to Japan, Great Britain hosts Kazakhstan and Slovakia hosts Brazil. All ties to be played during the weekend of 2122 April. The 2019 ITF Beach Tennis World Championships will be held in Terracina, Italy, from 10-16 June. The first round of renovations is due to be complete in time for this year’s Roland Garros, with the rebuilding of the main Court Philippe Chatrier due to be finished in April. A retractable roof is set to be complete in time for the 2020 tournament. A change of venue for the Miami Open paid immediate dividends, with this year’s event smashing attendance records to welcome almost 400,000 fans. The ITF has confirmed that all matches at the 2020 Olympic Games will be played over the best of three tie-break sets. Men’s, women’s and mixed doubles matches will feature a Champions Tiebreak at one set all.

SPONSORSHIP Russian young gun Karen Khachanov is the latest top player to sign an endorsement deal with Swiss watchmaker Rolex. Rolex also recently reaffirmed its commitment to the role of Official Timekeeper of the Davis Cup. BNP Paribas and the ITF have announced the next phase of their long-standing association, focusing on women and junior tennis while ending the ‘Davis Cup by BNP Paribas’ title sponsorship.

INDUSTRY Ian Hewitt has been named by the All England Club as the successor to current Chairman Philip Brook, and will take over at the end of the year. Indian technology company Infosys has agreed a strategic partnership with Roland Garros, adding to its portfolio of grand slam tennis tournaments. ATP Media has extended its partnership with LiveWire Sport for a further two years to continue delivering the strategy for Tennis TV’s social media channels. It follows the success of a collaboration that began in 2017 and has helped achieve significant growth for the official live streaming service of the ATP Tour.

PLAYERS The 30th anniversary of the Umag tournament in Croatia in July will feature an exhibition match between Goran Ivanisevic and Pat Rafter, 18 years after their celebrated Wimbledon final. Antomi Ramos Viera has become the first Spaniard to top the ITF Beach Tennis Tour men’s rankings. 40-year old Ivo Karlovic became the oldest player to win a match in Masters 1000 series history at Indian Wells recently.

Tennis Europe Junior Tour Rankings - Overall Tennis Europe’s junior ranking system is devised to give a unified overall list that shows the relative strengths of all players, regardless of where they achieved their results or picked up points. A player’s overall total includes points from Tennis Europe Junior Tour 16 and 14 & Under events, plus points earned by players in these age categories who participate in ITF Junior Circuit and professional tournaments, all of which are weighted according to their relative strengths. The 14

& Under ranking is still available separately (see next page), as well as being integrated to these overall rankings. For more information on the rankings system, check out the Tennis Europe Junior Tour Rules and Regulations at www.TennisEurope.org. The ‘Race to the Masters’ rankings are also available separately, and include points earned exclusively at Tennis Europe Junior Tour events. Rankings below are as of Tuesday 2nd April, 2019.

Overall Girls’ Ranking Name

Nat.

Points

Cori Gauff

USA

5525

Dasha Lopatetskaya

UKR

2206

Oksana Selekhmeteva

RUS

1955

04 NEW Antonia Ruzic

CRO

1756

05 NEW Ane Mintegi Del Olmo

ESP

1741

06 NEW Diana Shnaider

RUS

1652

07 NEW Lyubov Kostenko

UKR

1578

08 NEW Polina Kudermetova

RUS

1573

09 NEW Aliona Falei

BLR

1445

10 NEW Priska Madelyn Nugroho

INA

1425

Name

Nat.

Points

Carlos Alcaraz Garfia

ESP

1969

Holger Rune

DEN

1943

03 NEW Martin Damm

USA

1580

04 NEW Toby Alex Kodat

USA

1540

05 NEW Shintaro Mochizuki

JPN

1445

06 NEW Pedro Boscardin Dias

BRA

1431

07 NEW Stefan Popovic

SRB

1383

08 NEW Petr Nesterov

BUL

1346

09 NEW Daniel Siniakov

CZE

1267

10 NEW Elmer Moller

DEN

1249

Rank

Cori Gauff (USA)

Rank

Overall Boys’ Ranking

Carlos Alcaraz Garfia (ESP)

Tennis Europe Junior Tour Rankings - 14 & Under Tennis Europe’s junior ranking system is devised to give a unified overall list that shows the relative strengths of all players, regardless of where they achieved their results or picked up points. A player’s overall total includes points from Tennis Europe Junior Tour 16 and 14 & Under events, plus points earned by players in these age categories who participate in ITF Junior Circuit and professional tournaments, all of which are weighted according to their relative strengths. The 14

& Under ranking is still available separately, as well as being integrated to the overall rankings. For more information on the rankings system, check out the Tennis Europe Junior Tour Rules and Regulations at www.TennisEurope.org. The ‘Race to the Masters’ rankings are also available separately, and include points earned exclusively at Tennis Europe Junior Tour events. Rankings below are as of Tuesday 2nd April, 2019.

Name

Nat.

Points

Sofia Costoulas

BEL

900

Linda Fruhvirtova

CZE

895

03 NEW Kristyna Tomajkova

CZE

780

04 NEW Maria Sara Popa

ROU

735

05 NEW Anastasia Gureva

RUS

720

06 NEW Darja Suvirdjonkova

SRB

710

07 NEW Celine Naef

SUI

635

08 NEW Yaroslava Bartashevich

RUS

630

09 NEW V Jimenez Kasintseva

AND

615

10 NEW Elena Pridankina

RUS

615

Nat.

Points

01 NEW Mihai Alexandru Coman

ROU

695

02 NEW Yaroslav Demin

RUS

670

03 NEW Alexander Blockx

BEL

625

04 NEW Maxim Zhukov

RUS

615

05 NEW Rashed Nawaf

QAT

540

06 NEW Branko Djuric

SRB

525

07 NEW Georg Eduard Israelan

GER

505

08 NEW Antoine Ghibaudo

FRA

485

09 NEW Patrick Schoen

SUI

480

10 NEW Grigory Shebekin

RUS

470

Rank

14 & Under Girls

Sofia Costoulas (BEL)

Rank

Name

14 & Under Boys

Mihai Alexandru Coman (ROU)

Tennis Europe Junior Tour Results 2019 Tennis Europe Junior Tour - 12 & Under Week

Venue

02 Jan

Pirogovskiy (RUS)

02 Jan

BoulogneBillancourt (FRA)

Auray (FRA)

19 Feb 19 Feb 26 Feb