New Zealand juniors take on Europe

A group of young Kiwi tennis players will be heading into the New Zealand summer with plenty of competitive court time under their belts after hitting their way around Europe this winter.

In total, 17 New Zealand juniors aged between 12 and 14 years old spent time playing on the courts of Europe between July and September. 

The players competed on the Tennis Europe Junior Tour in a mix of categories and grades. Between them, they visited Germany, Spain, France, Serbia, Greece, Belgium, Montenegro, Poland, Slovakia, Croatia, Austria, Albania and Kosovo.

Tennis New Zealand’s National Performance Coach Chris Bint said it was great to have so many Kiwis competing over in Europe, “battling on clay, being exposed to different players and environments”. 

“It's a real testament to each player, their coaches and parents showing a high level of dedication to make this trip happen.”

Bint, who also spent time in Europe this winter coaching the touring players, said every one of them won multiple matches, with all Under 14 players building on their Tennis Europe rankings. 

“We had some of our highest-ranked Under 12 players competing in Category 1 events against some of the best players in Europe.”

He said Tennis New Zealand has a goal moving forward of working more collaboratively with private coaches and helping provide tournament support opportunities for younger Kiwis to get them out competing on the international stage, combined with regular regional training and national camps to complement their existing daily training environments.

“To be the level you've got to see the level, and I believe more people are understanding that. We are always looking for support from New Zealand businesses to sponsor different tours and trips so if you are reading this and can help in any way, please reach out.”

The New Zealand juniors who played in Europe this winter came from the regions of Auckland, Northern, Hamilton and Canterbury. 

They were: Liam Youn, Zac Wu, Damien Budiono, Riley Breen, Paxton Maling, Alvin Na, Dorea Morina, Una Misic, Yashwitha Thummala, Ceressa Jackson, Samaara Robin, Emme Gale, Jessica Wang, Aliyah Daly, Levi Wu, Neve Upston, and Jacques Rupe. 

The tours were organised and run by Sparta Tennis Academy and Lavie Tennis Academy.

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