MUNICH, February 29, 2020 (by Dietmar Kaspar)
Max Rehberg and Laura Isabel Putz from Germany clinched the singles trophies at the first Carinthian Juniors Trophy held at the venue of the TC Wolfsberg in Austria.
En route to the final, 16-year-old Rehberg knocked off the tournament’s top favourite Borna Devald from Croatia in the quarterfinals in three sets, followed by a straight-set win against No. 3 seed Lukas Pokorny of Slovakia in the stage of the final four.
Italian Giorgio Tabacco took the last step to the final by defeating Czech No. 4 seed Daniel Siniakov in two sets.
No. 7 seeded Rehberg came back from a set down in the title match to secure a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory. It was the second win for the young German over Tabacco in as many meetings between the two. Rehberg, a member of the DAIKIN Jungprofi-Team, who clinched his maiden singles trophy in his hometown Aschheim at the Dunlop Bavarian Junior Summer Championships last season, celebrated his second title on the ITF World Junior Tennis Tour. The current World No. 244 earned 100 ITF-Juniors‘ Ranking points and will climb about 80 positions.
„I did not have a good start into the match, but I accepted the challenge to come back and win the match,” Rehberg commented. „I did not really think about the championship before the tournament. My goal was being top 200 after next week’s tournament in Trnava, but reaching this goal already this week is unbelievable and the title is the greatest success in my career.
Putz captures her fourth career title
Laura Isabel Putz was crowned champion in the girls‘ singles competition. The No. 3 seed battled past Czech No. 7 seed Nelly Knezkova in the quarterfinals in three sets and emerged victorious from another three-set battle versus No. 2 seeded Amelia Bissett from Great Britain in the semis.
In the other semi-final, No. 4 seed Nikola Bartunkowa defeated No. 5 seed Nina Radovanovic from France in three sets.
In the championship match, 16-year-old Putz claimed a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 win in their first tour meeting. The current No. 262 in the ITF Juniors‘ Ranking, who joined the Porsche Junior Team this season, lifted her fourth junior trophy on the ITF World Tennis Tour and will rise about 80 positions to her new career high.
