European Junior Championships: Romania claimed three trophies and leads

Last Updated on 15 March 2025 by Racket One

The 14 & Under tournament took place in September in Most, Czech Republic. The 16 & Under competition was held in Parma, Italy, while the oldest category, also 16 & Under, competed in Oberpullendorf, Austria.

Girls 14&U

In the younger girls’ category, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Tea Kovacevic emerged as the champion after a hard-fought final, defeating top-seeded Czech player Jana Kovackova with a score of 6-7(7), 6-4, 6-4. Another standout of the tournament was Sophie Triquart from Germany. Ranked only 199 at the beginning of September, she made a surprising run to the semifinals at the European 14&U Championships, defeating the sixth seed, Katerina Zajícková, in the quarterfinals.

Boys 14&U

The main surprise of the tournament came in the second round when the top-ranked player in the Boys 14&U category, Britain’s Eric Lorimer, was defeated in a challenging match 6-3 2-6 7-5 by Spain’s Toni Escarda Piñeiro, ranked 34th. The tournament champion was Dutch player Stan Put, who won the final against France’s Pablo Pradat with a score of 6-0 4-6 6-4, moving up from 7th to 2nd place in the rankings by the end of the event.

Doubles 14&U

In the girls’ doubles, the Czech pair Jana Kovackova and Katerina Zajícková convincingly defeated the Austrian team of Lea Haider-Maurer and Anna Pircher, winning 5-3, 4-1. In the boys’ doubles, the Czech duo Pavel Oliver Dufek and Matyáš Maršík emerged as the strongest, beating the Spanish pair Izan Banares Lasala and Toni Escarda Piñeiro.

Girls 16&U

Several top-ranked players did not participate in the tournament, giving mid-ranked competitors a chance to step up. Among them was Italy’s Carla Giambelli, the seventh seed, who took full advantage by winning the title. She defeated Slovakia’s Sona Depesova 7-6(4), 7-6(6) in a fiery and hard-fought final, which significantly boosted her position in the Tennis Europe junior rankings.

Boys 16&U

In the absence of Germany’s top-ranked Diego Dedura-Palomero, Switzerland’s Flynn Thomas, ranked second, was considered the tournament favorite. However, he unexpectedly lost in the fourth round to Turkish junior Kaan Isik Kosaner, with a score of 3-6, 6-4, 7-5. In the final, Spain’s Tito Chavez faced Romania’s Yannick Theodor Alexandrescou, who secured a convincing victory with a score of 6-2, 6-1.

Doubles 16&U

In the girls’ doubles tournament for the under-18 category, the Italian duo Carla Giambelli and Fabiola Marino emerged as champions, defeating the Romanian pair Maia Ilinca Burcescu and Giulia Safina Popa with a score of 6-4, 5-7, 12-10. In the boys’ bracket, the Spanish team of Tito Chavez and Eudald Gonzalez claimed victory, overcoming the Ukrainian duo of Hryhorii Kartavenko and Dmytro Vterkovskyi with a score of 6-2, 3-6, 10-7.

Girls 18&U

Not all of the top tennis players aged 18 and under participated in the tournament, so the seventh-ranked player from Serbia, Teodora Kostovic, was the top seed. She advanced through the rounds with relative ease, facing a tough challenge only in the semifinals, where she defeated Vittoria Paganetti of Italy 6-4, 7-6. In the final, Teodora was unstoppable, securing a dominant victory over Alena Kovackova from the Czech Republic with a score of 6-1, 6-0.

Boys 18&U

A similar situation occurred in the boys’ 18 and under tournament. In the final, seventh-ranked Romanian player Luca Preda faced 76th-ranked Italian Jacopo Vasami, winning convincingly with a score of 6-3, 6-1. It’s uncertain why so few top-ranked young players participated in the European 18&U Championships. Perhaps many of them are already focusing on their professional careers, giving less priority to junior competitions.

Doubles 18&U

The women’s doubles final saw a victory for the Dutch team, Britt Du Pree and Joy De Zeeuw. They won the first set 6-2, but Romania’s Elena Bertea and Diana Simionescu fought back to take the second set 7-5, pushing the match to a tiebreak. Despite the Romanians’ effort, Du Pree and De Zeeuw clinched the win 6-2, 5-7, 11-9.

In the boys’ doubles final, Romania’s Luca Preda and Stefan Haita defeated Spain’s Izan Alamazan Valiente and Andres Santamarta Roig. After a close first set, they dominated the second, winning 7-6, 6-1.

Contribution to the Tennis Europe ranking

Romania emerged as the overall leader in points scored throughout the championship, amassing an impressive total of 640 points. This dominant performance was driven by the team’s success across multiple categories, particularly in the Boys 16&U, Boys 18&U, and Boys 18&U doubles events, where they secured key victories. Following closely behind, the Czech Republic earned second place with 610 points, showcasing their consistent strength across the competition. Italy also put up a solid showing, finishing in third place with a total of 590 points, rounding out the top three teams in this highly competitive championship.

Read more about the competition of European tennis nations in our Tennis Europe Awards section.