MUNICH, March 11, 2019 (by Dietmar Kaspar)
M15 Oslo NOR – Finnish talent Ruusuvuori gets the crown
19-year-old Emil Ruusuvuori (FIN) justified the role as a favourite to capture the title of the 2019 Norwegian Open held at the Oslo Tennis Arena. The top seed started the competition with a win over 18-year-old Alexey Zakharov (RUS) who was No. 12 in the ITF Junior rankings last year.
The journey to the final went on with the following straight-set wins against Yannik Steinegger (SUI), Danylo Kalenichenko (UKR) and Dan Added (FRA).
Qualifier Mick Veldheer had a sensational run to make the final. The 22-year-old lefthanded got an easy win in the first round versus 17-year-old Leyton Riviera (NOR) in two clear sets. In the following three rounds he had to battle through tough three-set matches against Filip Bergevi (SWE), Florian Lakat (FRA) and Savriyan Danilov (RUS) to finish runner-up.
In the final Ruusuvuori, former No. 4 in the ITF Junior rankings, made physically the better impression and dominated the match, being more efficient with his serve. After one hour and 18 minutes he sealed the clear 6:1, 6:4 win to lift his fifth title on the ITF Pro Circuit.
M15 Toulouse FRA – Frenchman Hugo Grenier celebrates the title
Hugo Grenier (FRA) gets the win in Toulouse to lift his second trophy on the ITF Pro Circuit. In 2017 he won his first title in Veigy—Foncenex/France.
The No. 2 seed started the way to the final with a tough three-set win against 19-year-old Clement Tabur (FRA) who was No. 10 in the ITF Junior rankings. After two straight-set wins against his two compatriots Pierre Delage and Arthur Reymond the 22-year-old Grenier met French man Ronan Joncour in the semifinal. After an epic battle in three sets lasting two hours and 45 minutes, Grenier could save the win 7:6, 6:7, 7:5 to reach the title-match versus 21-year-old Raphael Baltensperger from Switzerland.
Unseeded Baltensperger, started the competition with two three-set wins against Alexis Klegou (BEN) and Liam Caruana (ITA), followed by a straight set win over Stuart Parker (GBR). In the semifinal he stopped the sensational run of 18-year-old Rayane Roumane (FRA) who defeated top seed Denis Yevseyev (KAZ) in the second round.
The final was an even match with Baltensperger taking the first set 6:4, but Grenier could rally back to take the next two sets by 6:3, 6:4 and celebrating his second ITF Pro Circuit-title on french ground after one hour and 52 minutes.
Merci à tous d’avoir été aussi nombreux à venir assister aux Internationaux de Tennis Toulouse-Balma, du 4 au 10 Mars au Centre de Ligue de Balma, et au sacre d’#hugogrenier 🇫🇷 Vainqueur 2019 👏👏@ITF_Tennis #itfworldtennistour
📷https://t.co/b7w8qhiWGP pic.twitter.com/bq40QwfBXQ— Ligue Occitanie Pyrénées-Méditerranée de Tennis (@LigueOccTennis) 11. März 2019
M15 Sharm El Sheikh EGY – Another home win by talented Youssef Hossam
20-year-old Youssef Hossam (EGY) was the dominating player to clinch his ninth title on the ITF Pro Circuit without dropping a set in the competition.
After clear wins against Michal Mikula (POL), George Tsivadze (GEO), Albert Roglan (ESP) and Adam Moundir (SUI) he made it to the final versus 25-year-old Andres Artunedo Martinavarro (ESP).
No. 4 seed Artunendo Martinavarro , former ITF Junior No. 11 made it to the final with straight-set wins against Mehluli Don Ayanda Sibanda (ZIM), Jonas Trinker (AUT), Vladislav Manafov (UKR) and No. 7 seed Lukas Klein (SVK).
In the title-match No. 2 seed Hossam, former Nr. 8 at ITF Junior rankings, converted three of his seven break points by facing only one break to get another straight-set win in the competition by 7:5, 6:3 lasting one hour and 28 minutes.
Hopefully Hossam will be seen playing more bigger tournaments outside of his homecountry. He lifted eight of his nine Pro Circuit trophies in Egypt.
M15 Loulé POR – Sandro Ehrat continues his great run in 2019
27-year-old Sandro Ehrat (SUI) took the title in Loulé to lift already his third ITF trophy in 2019. After a hip surgery that had sidelined him from the courts for two years he started a great comeback, making his debut for the Swiss Davis Cup team in 2018.
After two straight-set wins against Laurent Lokoli (FRA) and Paul Osterbaan (USA) he got the three-set win versus 19-year-old Tomas Martin Etcheverry (ARG), former No. 12 in Junior ITF rankings to drop the only set in the competition. With beating former 114th ATP ranked Lamine Ouahab (MAR) in two sets he made it to the final against Alvaro Lopez San Martin (ESP).
21-year-old Lopez San Martin, former No. 11 ITF Junior rankings started his way to the final with straigt-set wins against Alejandro Gomez (COL), Benjamin Winter Lopez (ESP) and Henry Craig (USA). In a tough three-set clash he sealed the win over previously ATP No. 62 Fred Gil from Portugal.
In the final the first set was a clear case for Ehrat. The second set started with a 4:1 run by Lopez San Martin, but Ehrat could turn around winning the last five games in a row. to clinch his ninth ITF title overall.
M25 Mildura AUS – Favourite win of Dayne Kelly
The tournament was a good place for the favourite players, all four top seeded competitors made it to the semifinals. In the first semifinal 25-year-old Arjun Kadhe (IND) had to retire against top seed Dayne Kelly (AUS) after losing the first nine games.
No. 2 seed Brydan Klein (GBR), former No. 4 of the ITF Junior rankings, came back after losing the tough first set in the tie-breaker to dominate the two following sets versus 27-year-old Shuichi Sekiguchi (JPN) by 6:1, 6:1.
The final was a back and forth affair in three sets, lasting one hour and 58 minutes. 28-year-old Kelly prevailed the first set by 6:1. Klein, who struck 11 aces throughout the match, came back to take the second set with 6:4. Left handed Kelly got the final set by 6:4 to prevent the second consecutive win of Klein at the same place and lift his 11th trophy on the Pro Circuit.
M15 Nishi Tama JPN – Shintaro Imai captures first home title
Unseeded Shintaro Imai (JPN) got his first Pro Circuit trophy on Japanese ground.
Starting with a three–set win against 21-year-old Yusuke Takahashi (JPN) he defeated his Japanese compatriots Sho Katayama, Tomohiro Masabayashi and Sho Shimabukuro in straight sets to make the final against 25-year-old Ji Sung Nam from Korea.
No. 2 seed Nam came through to the title-match beating the Japanese players Takuto Niki, Kazuki Nishiwaki, Hiroyasu Ehara and Jumpei Yamasaki. He was the only player to prevent an all Japanese semifinal.
The final was a clear matter for 25-year-old Shintaro, serving eight aces without dropping a service game. After 60 minutes he secured the win by 6:2, 6:2 to lift his overall sixth trophy in ITF Pro Circuit.
M15 Doha QAT – Talented Geoffrey Blancaneaux captures the title
No. 4 seed Geoffrey Blancaneaux (FRA) got his first ITF trophy of the saeson. The 20-year-old Frenchman, who was previously No. 5 in the ITF Junior rankings, defeated top seed Jacob Grills (AUS) clearly 6:4, 6:1 in the final.
Blancennaux started the way to the final with an easy win over Lorenzo Frigerio (ITA).
In the second round he had a very tough battle against Dominic Böhler (GER) winning 6:4, 6:7, 7:5 – followed by two straight-set wins versus Milen Ianakiev (GER) and Zizou Bergs (BEL).
23-year-old Grills started his journey with two three-set wins against Alexander Igoshin (RUS) and 17-year-old George Loffhagen (GBR), followed by two straight-set wins versus Ricardo Rodriguez (VEN) and former ATP No. 77 Marsel Ilhan (TUR).
Blancaneaux, who is coached by Thierry Ascione, Marc Gicquel and Nicolas Devilder lifted his eighth ITF trophy overall. After winning his first titles on clay he made big progress playing on hard-court.
✅ Tournoi @ITF_Tennis de #Doha au #Qatar: victoire en finale 6-4, 6-1 contre l’Australien Jacob Grills 🇦🇺 (n. 402 #ATP).
Avec le titre hier en double aux côtés de Z. Bergs 🇧🇪, ça fait 🏆🏆 ce week-end 😊 pic.twitter.com/jXZbKF7C9v— Geoffrey Blancaneaux (@Geof888) 10. März 2019
M15 Tabarka TUN – Oriol Roca Batalla stays very solid on clay
25-year-old Oriol Roca Batalla (ESP) showed again that he is a very big contender on clay-courts on the ITF Pro Circuit. He lifted his 23rd ITF trophy (21 of them on clay) beating 24-year-old compatriot Pol Toledo Bague in two sets by 7:5, 6:4.
No. 2 seed Roca Batalla made it to the final by wins versus Anis Ghorbel (TUN), Yan Bondarevskiy (RUS) and Benjamin Dhoe (BEL) followed by a tough semifinal-battle in three sets against Bruno SantÁnna (BRA).
No. 4 seed Toledo Bague got into the final match after defeats against two Russian players Zakhar Trapeznikov and Mikhail Korovin, followed by wins versus Juan Pablo Paz (ARG) and Florent Diep (FRA).
Both players entered the same tournament next week.
#TeamRCTB1899 | @OriolRoca93, campió de l’ITF World Tennis Tour de Tabarka
➡️ https://t.co/AGOat9BFfA pic.twitter.com/3W3z0srJrO— RCT Barcelona-1899 (@rctb1899) 11. März 2019
M15 Antalya TUR – Ivan Nedelko triumphs in the expected final match
Clay-court specialist Ivan Nedelko (RUS) made it to his first ITF trophy in 2019. The 32-year-old and No. 2 seed got the final win against top seed Dmitry Popko (KAZ) in a tough three-set battle by 6:4, 5:7, 6:2.
Nedelko had started with wins against Luca Prevosto (ITA), Denis Klok (RUS) and Matias Zukas (ARG) before he stopped the great run of 18-year-old Nick Hardt (DOM) in the semifinals. Hardt was No. 16 in the ITF Junior rankings last year.
22-year-old Popko secured victories over Andrey Chepelev (RUS), Bora Sengul (TUR) and Jordan Correya (BRA). In the semifinals he finished the trip of 19-year-old Nicolas Mejia (COL) who was No. 4 in the ITF Junior rankings last year.
Nedelko could lift his 20th ITF-trophy overall, all won on clay.
