With only a week left until Kungens Kanna & Drottningens Pris, France and Russia have won this year’s 14 & Under Tennis Europe Winter Cups by claiming victory at the final rounds of the indoor team competition of the boys’ and girls’ events respectively.
On the boys’ side, France faced Romania in the finals. 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 #4 ranked Romanian #1 Mihai Alexandru Coman 6-2, 6-4. With the doubles uncontested, the French boys lifted this trophy for the seventh time.
Final Standings Boys
1. France, 2. Romania, 3. Russia, 4. Belgium, 5. Great Britain, 6. Germany, 7. Switzerland, 8. Croatia.
In the girls’ finals hosting team, Czech Republic played against Russia in the finals. 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 #5 ranked Anastasiia Gureva came out of the blocks strong against #6 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.
Final Standings Girls
1. Russia, 2. Czech Republic, 3. Switzerland, 4, Ukraine, 5. Serbia, 6. Romania, 7. Great Britain, 8. Belarus