Ones to watch from the ITF World Junior Tennis Finals
The ITF World Junior Tennis Finals has a rich history, with names such as Rafael Nadal, Kim Clijsters and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga having competed at the event in years gone by.
We took the opportunity to ask the captains at the 2021 ITF World Junior Tennis Finals which players they think will be writing headlines in years to come. Here's what they had to say...
Federico Cina (ITA)
Italy’s No. 1 player Federico Cina anchored his team to victory in the boys’ competition and won a number of new fans due to his formidable playing style and imposing serve.
“I’m really impressed by Federico because of his clean ball-striking. He’s an aggressive player and is good at it. His serve is also very impressive,” said Sweden boys’ captain Christian Samuelsson.
Mohamed Moussa, Egypt boys’ captain, agreed: “I was really impressed by Federico because of his attitude and performances with his great backhand and aggressive forehand and high-quality serve.”
For Peter Pfannkoch, Germany boys’ captain it was Cina’s ‘mature game and attitude’ that set him apart from the rest.
Mirra Andreeva (RUS)
Mirra Andreeva, the Russian No. 2 and sister of 2021 Junior Roland Garros finalist Erika, was another player to achieve myriad plaudits. The 14-year-old won all six of her singles matches to help Russia to claim the girls’ title.
“Mirra is the perfect all-round player. She has good groundstrokes, movement and attitude,” said Omar Hedayet, Egypt girls’ captain.
Yoshinori Nakayama, Japan girls’ captain, also believes Andreeva is one to watch for the future: “I’m really impressed by Mirra for three reasons – she’s very active, stays calm and because of her commitment.”
The Russian boys' team
Dean Coburn, Canada boys’ captain, was quick to praise Mirra’s male compatriots, the Russian team of Timofei Derepasko, Egor Pleshivtsev and Egor Gorin: “I was really impressed by the entire Russian squad we competed against on day two because of their physicality, attacking style of play and overall consistency.”
Yoana Konstantinova (BUL)
Consistency was a trait that Denise Fernandez, Canada girls’ captain, recognised in Bulgaria’s No. 1 player Yoana Konstantinova.
“Yoana’s intensity and the consistency of her fast-paced ball is phenomenal. She’s fearless on every ball she receives.”
Flynn Thomas (SUI)
Finland boys’ captain Boris Chernov believes Switzerland’s Flynn Thomas has a bright future ahead of him because of the way he handled himself this week despite being one of the youngest players in action.
“Flynn is born in 2008 and although he is seriously smaller in size than the other players he can hurt any opponent by being super aggressive. His shot selection and placement skills are great as well as his tactical awareness. His natural talent is unique and he is a great competitor.”
Finland's doubles duo
Boris was also keen to credit his players Felix Alopaeus and Oskari Paldanis who didn’t drop a set in doubles all week.
“Felix and Oskari are playing extremely mature doubles with an emphasis on serve and return patterns specific for doubles, reflex volleys and poaching.”
Tereza Valentova (CZE)
The Hong Kong girls’ team wanted to recognise the talents of Czech Republic’s Tereza Valentova, the European U14 Champion, who was unbeaten in her singles and doubles matches this week.
“My girls have chosen Tereza because of her precise placement, very powerful game and good fighting spirit,” revealed Andreea Mihaela, Hong Kong girls’ captain.
Jan Kumstat (CZE)
Tereza’s countryman Jan Kumstat also caught the attention of Boris Chernov: “I was really impressed by Jan because of his diverse shot selection, on court discipline and offensive game style. Even though he is young, he is very mature player with a strong foundation for men’s tennis.”
So, there you have it. Keep your eyes peeled over the coming years to see if this year’s captains have successfully identified any future champions.