Last year the under 12s actually won this event, but there will be no repeat this year. Johannus Monday and Benjamin Heynold both lost 2.5 hour matches to Belarus, so the team are playing for the minor positions. The under 14s and under 16s (the latter including Max Stewart in the nominations) try to qualify next weekend for their finals.
The under 16s (Daniel Bennett, Max Stewart and Thomas Wright) are in Bergen and have to overcome top seeds Belarus tomorrow to remain in with a chance of reaching the finals. The under 14 squad of Jack Draper, Jake Hersey and Emile Hudd play in Karlskrona, Sweden
The strong under 14s are seeded to qualify and started with a convincing 3-0 win over Slovenia: Jack winning 6-2 1-6 6-2, Jake 6-4 6-2, and Jack combined with Emile for a 6-3 6-0 scoreline in the doubles. They play the Slovak Republic tomorrow to decide qualification for the finals. Despite a comfortable 6-3 6-2 win for Max in the top singles the under 16s went down 2-1 to Belarus (Daniel losing 6-3 6-4 and combining with Max for a 3 set loss in doubles) so play for the minor places.
A 2-1 defeat to the Czech Republic (Jake won the top singles 6-3 6-3, but Emile lost 6-2 6-4. and Jake/Emile lost the doubles 6-1 6-4) means no seeding for the under 14s. The under 16s lost all their matches 2-1
Good result for the boys, though on form they appeared to be favourites. The French were seeded because they won their weaker looking group (both qualifiers from their group lost today, whilst both qualifiers from our group won). However there's no doubting the strength of tomorrow's opponents, top seeds Russia, who are threatening to take as much a stranglehold of the boys' game at under 14 level as the girls. Their 3 players are all ranked in the TE top 7, with 3 others just behind.
U14 QF
GBR 2 (4)France 1
Emile won 7-5 7-6(3)
Jake won 6-0 6-2
Jake/Jack lost 4-6 4-6
The boys put up a good fight, with Emile scalping the TE5, before eventually going down - they therefore play for bronze tomorrow against the team which beat them in qualifying
SF
(1)Russia 2 GBR 1
Emile won 6-4 3-6 6-1
Jake lost 2-6 2-6
Emile/Jack lost 3-6 1-6
