A strong under 14 team of Mark Ceban, Rhys Lawlor and Leo Wright begin the journey today, aiming for the World Junior U14 finals in the Czech Republic in August. Their first aim is to qualify for the European finals, and for that they need to beat Portugal today and Ukraine or Cyprus tomorrow. Qualifying is in Valencia, Spain with the finals at the same venue next weekend.
Other age groups hold their qualifying in late July / early August
A straightforward opening victory over Portugal with Rhys winning 6-4 6-0, Mark 6-2 6-4 and the two combining to take the doubles 6-2 6-1. They play Ukraine tomorrow
With all the other events going on this week I'm surprised they bothered - most playing elsewhere.
What is the point - same for the girls.
I think you must have misunderstood. The only team events going on this week are for the under 14s, whose only other options (for nearly all) are low grade TE14 or ITFs. Hence normally most of the top ranked under 14s turn out if selected for their country, with big carrots of silverware and the prestigious world juniors event
Good news as GBR comfortably beat Ukraine 3-0 to reach the European finals. Wins for Rhys (6-1 6-2) Mark (6-3 6-1) and Leo/Rhys (6-1 4-6 12-10). They play the host nation Spain for seeding rights.
With all the other events going on this week I'm surprised they bothered - most playing elsewhere.
What is the point - same for the girls.
I think you must have misunderstood. The only team events going on this week are for the under 14s, whose only other options (for nearly all) are low grade TE14 or ITFs. Hence normally most of the top ranked under 14s turn out if selected for their country, with big carrots of silverware and the prestigious world juniors event
Mea culpa - I thought all the junior teams were playing this week which would have left them a bit threadbare.
The under 14s secure seeding in the weekend finals thanks to a 2-1 win against Spain. Rhys lost a 3 hour marathon 6-3 6-7(4) 4-6 before Mark won 6-2 6-3 and joined with Rhys to take the doubles 6-3 6-0
The under 14 finals start tomorrow and we are seeded 2, facing Slovakia. A win would take us through both to the European semis and to the World Juniors
The under 14 boys join the girls at the World Juniors - it's not often that both teams qualify In the European Summer Cup semis they take on France whose top ranked player is Daniel Jade, who lost to Mark in the Les Petits As final
U14 QF
Slovakia 0 (2) GBR 2
Rhys Lawlor d. Richard Krizan 6-3 6-4 Mark Ceban d. Leon Sloboda 6-4 6-3 Doubles to be played
It is the turn of the under12s to try to qualify for their final - without success. Each qualifying section is divided into 2 groups of 4 with the top 2 playing the top 2 of the other group to decide qualification. The GB team of Haqim Kamal, Samuel Riley and Kamran Arif narrowly lost their third round robin today to Slovenia in a doubles match tiebreak, in a shootout for second place in their round robin group (both had previously lost to Czechia 3-0 and beaten Estonia 3-0). Hence they play-off for 5th/6th in their section tomorrow
Most of the under 18/under16 qualification events take place next week, but I see that the group including the GBR under 18 boys concluded yesterday. The good news is our team of Viktor Frydrych, Charlie Robertson and Henry Jefferson qualified for their final with a 3-0 win over Romania. They lost to Czechia 2-1 despite a win for Charlie over the JWR35 Jakub Filip, so will be unseeded in the finals.