ITF

SPRING 2016 NEWS ROUND-UP Players from Burundi, Egypt, Seychelles and South Africa won the trophies at the 39th African Junior Championships held in Pretoria in March. Thirteen-year-old Damien Laporte made history in the boys' 14 & under singles tournament when he defeated Mickael Osewa of Nigeria 75 64 to become the first Seychellois player to win in any category at the championships. In another close match, Egypt's Yousef Khamis claimed the boys' 16 & under singles title ahead of home favourite Philip Henning 76 62. Burundi's Sada Nahimana, who trains at the ITF Moroccan Training Centre, claimed her third ITF title in as many years by defeating Morocco's Diae El Jardi 75 62 in the girls' 16 & under event. She won the 14 & under titles in 2014 and 2015. There was South African success in the girls' 16 & under tournament, with Makayla Loubser defeating Burundi's Aisha Niyonkuru 75 63 in the final. The hosts also won the team trophy, based on overall performances in singles and doubles at the Pretoria event and also at the 18 & Under African Junior Championships which took place in Tunisia in February. FIRST AJC TITLE FOR SEYCHELLES One hundred and twenty players from 28 countries took part in Pretoria, with this year's African Junior Championships taking on a new format with an extensive round robin stage followed by play-off draws. OBITUARY: BUD COLLINS The ITF was saddened to learn of the death of American tennis journalist, commentator and historian Arthur "Bud" Collins in March at the age of 86. Collins was one of the most vibrant and respected figures on the international circuit, known as much for his outlandish outfits as his encyclopaedic knowledge of tennis. He was born in Lima, Ohio, but made Boston his home for more than 50 years. He joined The Boston Globe in 1963 and went on to work for the local Boston PBS radio and TV affiliate WGBH. He moved onto television coverage of the sport in 1968, firstly on CBS Sports, and then on NBC, where he was a staple of their tennis coverage from 1972 until 2007. Towards the end of his career he also worked for ESPN and the Tennis Channel. Collins wrote several memoirs and biographies on tennis, as well as multiple tennis encyclopaedias. He was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1994. In 1999, he was honoured by the Associated Press Sports Editors, who awarded him the Red Smith Award, America's most prestigious sports writing honour. In 2014, Collins attended his 61st US Open, and the following year the USTA named its media centre in his honour. OBITUARY: BRUNO AGOSTINELLI JR. Former Canadian Davis Cup player Bruno Agostinelli Jr. died in March at the age of 28. Agostinelli represented Canada in a 2009 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas Americas Zone Group I relegation play-off tie, recording a victory in the decisive fifth rubber over Ivan Miranda to secure his country's place in the group. Away from team competition, Agostinelli reached No. 2 on the NCAA rankings and was named University of Kentucky's male athlete of the year. He finished his career as an All-American, and won multiple provincial and national junior championships. After retiring from professional tennis in 2009, Agostinelli became the national coach for under 14 players at Tennis Canada's national junior training programme in Toronto. "This news has shocked and saddened our entire organisation and the tennis community," said Kelly Murumets, president and CEO of Tennis Canada. "Bruno was simply a terrific person. Humble about his accomplishments, caring and kind towards his players, and passionate about his job, his life and his family. This is a truly devastating loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with Bruno's family and everyone who loved him dearly, as we did." OBITUARY: JOHAN CRUYFF The ITF learned with great sadness of the death in March of Dutch football legend and wheelchair tennis supporter Johan Cruyff. Through his Foundation, Cruyff was a strong advocate of disability sport, with the Cruyff Foundation supporting the ITF Junior Wheelchair Tennis Programme and the Wheelchair Tennis Development Fund over a number of years. The Cruyff Foundation Junior Masters has been the launch pad for several of the world's top players, and Cruyff Foundation International and National Junior Camps have given numerous juniors the opportunity to take up the sport. The ITF Wheelchair Tennis Development Fund has received significant investment from the Cruyff Foundation and has been a major factor in the delivery of projects in more than 40 developing countries. 34 ITFWORLD SPRING 2016 Damien Laporte in action Bruno Agostinelli Jr., left, with the 2015 Canadian under 14 boys team Honorary Life President Francesco Ricci Bitti with Johan Cruyff

• Cover