Qualifying takes place from Friday to Sunday for the finals of the Tennis Europe Winter Cup, which take place in the Czech Republic in a fortnight's time. In both categories the format is a team competition with 2 singles and 1 doubles, and 2 consecutive wins are required to make the finals.
The under 14 team of Eleanor Dean, Grace Dixon and Katie Boulter have a good chance of qualifying. They are seeded to qualify and open against Georgia. The under 16 team of Jessica Ren, Joanna Henderson and Tiffany William has virtually no chance. If they win their opener against Finland they have to then beat top seeds and tournament favourites Russia, who have nominated Gavrilova, Putintseva and Leykina.
Gavrilova, Putintseva and Leykina? Jesus, talk about taking the competition seriously.
They have been putting out similar strength teams for all the under 16 events in the last year, winning the European Summer Cup, the Junior Fed Cup and having all the semi-finalists in the European Championships. I haven't found the results for yesterday's encounter, but any games won by GBR would be a minor success.
The under 14s have comfortably advanced to the finals, and play top qualifying seed Ukraine to determine which nation will be seeded in the finals
under 14 SF
GBR 3 Turkey 0
(3) Katie Boulter won 6-1 6-2 (1) Eleanor Dean won 7-6 (7) 6-1 Dixon/Boulter won 6-1 6-4
I must admit Tiffany William wasn't a name I had come across before so after a quick google search I spotted that she trains at a tennis academy in Barcelona.
I wonder whether a certain Miss Robson will partake in any junior team competition this year. I suppose she may play the Junior Fed Cup but without a world class team mate there is no guarantee of success.
I expect they will approach Laura for the Fed Cup and European Summer Cup which acts as a qualifier, but I would be surprised if Laura's team accepts given the timing. It's effectively a 3 week competition starting in late July at a time when Laura will probably be looking to play a few senior events.
The finals started today and we were fairly fortunate in the draw, considering we were unseeded, and have taken advantage by toppling the seeded Croatians. The strongest team on paper are the Ukrainians, who beat us in the qualifying stage, but they are in the opposite half of the draw.
GBR 2 Croatia 1
(3) Katie Boulter lost to (3) Ana Konjuh 6-2 3-6 6-3 (1) Eleanor Dean beat (1) Iva Primorac 6-3 6-2 Boulter / Dean beat Fett / Konjuh 6-2 6-3
SF
GBR v (2) Germany
A win over Germany would take us into the final for only the third time in the tournament's 30 year history - the last time being Laura, Jess and Jo in 2008
(2) Grace Dixon lost to (3) Nina Scholten 6-4 7-6(7) (1) Eleanor Dean beat (1) Antonia Lottner 6-2 2-6 6-4 Boulter / Dean beat Lottner / Scholten 7-6(2) 7-6(5)
The Czech Republic upset the top seeds Ukraine to provide our opponents in the final. The U14 finals are in Pruhonice, so the Czechs will have plenty of home support.
A bigger surprise in the under 16s where Russia (fielding Putintseva and Gavrilova) lost to the Czech Republic - last year's Tennis Europe Junior Tour player of the year Petra Rohanova beating Gavrilova.