ITF

ITFWORLD WINTER 2017 31 www.itftennis.com "We are so happy we can't describe the feeling," Czech No. 1 Svrcina said, after his 62 62 defeat of USA's Govind Nanda completed the win. "It's unbelievable we didn't lose a match. It's pretty cool." Forejtek had defeated William Grant 64 75 to send the top seeds on their way, finishing his week without dropping a set in any of his singles rubbers. Although Captain Cihak was pleased with his team's exploits in Budapest, he was quick to point out that his players still had much to do before they could entertain realistic prospects of strong professional careers. "They don't make mistakes," he explained. "But they have to improve a lot, because tennis on the ATP Tour is different, you have to serve well and go to the net, play harder, go for winners. And they have to work on it. At this level and this age, the game of my guys brings success, but they [need to] work a little bit to change their tennis and to play more aggressive and go to the net." Second seeds Argentina earned a spot on the podium — some consolation for a narrow defeat to USA in the last four — after beating Croatia in the third-place play-off on the final day. While the Junior Davis Cup and Junior Fed Cup is a chance to see players on the cusp of a professional career, the ITF World Junior Tennis Finals give players a chance to experience the benefits of team competition at the younger, 14-and- under level. That said, success even at that stage can be used as a springboard for greatness — and so it was that USA's Cori Gauff, who starred in her nation's road to the girls title in Prostejov, reached the US Open girls singles final just a few weeks later. "I was trying not to play nervously as I knew I wouldn't be at my best if I did that, I just pretended it was a practice match and all the pressure wasn't there," Gauff said after winning her singles rubber in the final and then combining with Charlotte Owensby to defeat Ukraine in a decisive doubles rubber. The boys' final also went to the decisive doubles, with Switzerland defeating Spain when Yarin Aebi and Jerome Kym triumphed against Carlos Alcarez Garfia and Daniel Rincon Yague 64 63. "To play the final in this competition is really special," said Swiss captain Michael Lammer, a member of Switzerland's 2014 Davis Cup title-winning squad. "I'm so happy for the boys that they got this win." ITFWORLD WINTER 2017 31 www.itftennis.com Dasha Lopatetskaya's Ukraine team was defeated in a decisive doubles rubber Spanish No. 2 Daniel Rincon Yague won the first rubber in the boys final USA defeated top seed Ukraine in the girls World Junior Tennis final Switzerland were ITF World Junior Tennis boys champions

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