The TE Winter Cup is a team competition split into 2 categories (14 & U, 16 & U), with a similar division for the Girls. The format is teams of 3 playing 2 singles and 1 doubles on a knock-out basis. There are roughly 32 countries participating in each category, partitioned initially into sets of 8 teams (usually) at 4 locations, with 2 qualifying for the finals in a fortnight's time. The last success for the boys was when an Andy Murray inspired team won the under 14s in 2001 and were finalists in the under 16s the following year.
This year the 14 & U team is in Corregio (Italy) with the following team:
Luke Bambridge Evan Hoyt Christopher Pearce
They are the top seeds in their group and open on Friday against Austria
The 16 & U team is in Moscow with this team:
Oliver Golding George Morgan Andrew Bettles
They are seeded to qualify and start on Friday against Russia
George Morgan d. Anton Volkov 6-3 6-1 Oliver Golding d. Evgeny Karlovsky 7-6 (3) 6-4 Volkov/Neymatov d. Golding/Bettles 6-4 3-6 [10-4]
We play Ukraine next, with a good chance of winning and progress to the finals (Sunday's matches are about seedings in the finals, and minor places in the qualifying stages)
All the U14s in Corregio played short sets in the doubles when the singles were decisive (2-0), but that did not happen at other venues.
Portugal is probably the toughest opposition GBR could have faced out of the nations not seeded to qualify. Their number 1 Frederico Silva has played Luke the last two weeks, winning 1 each, while their doubles team beat Luke/Evan at Les Petits As.
We play a strong Italian team to decide the winner of the Group, and who will be seeded in the finals. (Luke and Evan are currently ranked 3 and 5, whilst the Italians are 4 and 7 in the TE14 rankings)
The finals start on Friday, and we are top seeds with the same trio of TE top tenners. The draw looks reasonably favourable with Italy in the bottom half playing Russia, though Ukraine also look strong on paper.
14&U QF
(1) Great Britain v Belarus (4) Netherlands v Ukraine France v (3) Belgium Italy v (2) Russia
Congratulations to the team Here is the report on Tennis Europe
Top seeded Great Britain overcame a stern test from France on the final day of the Tennis Europe Winter Cups by HEAD in Pruhonice to win their first title in the competition in eight years.
In the day's first match, British #3 Christopher Pearce overcame a second set fightback to inflict Enzo Couacaud's first Winter Cups defeat, eventually triumphing 76(2) 36 62.
The battle between the top players of each team was to prove a titanic battle. France's Enzo Py edged a close first set tie break 7-5 forcing Luke Bambridge to raise his play in the second set, which he won 6-4. A memorable third set saw both players with chances to win but it was Bambridge who held his serve agter six games to clinch the tie for the British and emerge a 67 64 97 winner. Christopher Pearce then returned to the court with Evan Hoyt to complete a 3-0 sweep, brushing past Couacaud and Florian Lakat 64 62 in the doubles match.
The title represents the third British win in this age category, and the first since Andy Murray skippered the team to victory in 2001.
Here is the report on Tennis Europe
