HEAD Sponsors Successful Tennis Europe Tournaments

HEAD recently sponsored the 2007 Nations Challenge and Junior Championships, organized by Tennis Europe, the largest regional association of the sport's governing body, the International Tennis Federation (ITF).

“The inaugural Tennis Europe Nations Challenge by HEAD and the 2007 Junior Championships were extremely successful both as events and for HEAD as a sponsor,” said Robert Marte, Executive Vice President of the racquet sports division. “This partnership strengthens our focus and commitment to our grass root program and also the cooperation with national federations."

France and Russia emerged as the champions of the inaugural Tennis Europe Nations Challenge by HEAD, the new European team championship event for players under 12 years of age. During the boy's competition in Alghero, Italy, Alexandre Favrot of France defeated Italian Gianluigi Quinzi to win the title.

Meanwhile at the girl's competition in Ajaccio, France, the No. 1 players for France and Russia represented their respective countries in a long and close battle. In the end, Russia's Irina Khromacheva gained the upper hand midway through the third set and never looked back, securing a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 win, helping Russia take the girl's title.

The 2007 Tennis Europe Junior Championships by HEAD succeeded in providing a forum for several European Tennis Federations to play in a true 'European Championship' event. Winners of this popular event included:
Under 14 (Ostrava/CZE):
o Kristina Mladenovic of France, winning the 14 and under girls championship and beating top seed Vivien Juhaszova during the final in Ostrava, Czech Republic.
o Ciprian Porumb of Romania who won the 14 and under boy's event, defeating Czech hopeful Jiri Vesely in the final 7-6 (6), 6-4 to secure his fourth title of the year.
o Slovak boys doubles team of Filip Horansky and Adrian Partl, who recovered from losing the first set to beat top seeded Czechs Robert Rumlerand Lukas Vrnak 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 in the 14 and under boys doubles competition.
o Czech girl's doubles team Martina Allertova and Martina Zavodska, who emerged victorious in the 14 and under girl's doubles competition by upsetting second seeds Tamara Curovic and Aleksandra Krunich 6-1, 6-4.

Under 16 (Moscow/RUS):
o Grigor Dmitrov of Bulgaria, winning his second European Junior Championship title 6-3, 6-4 against Italy's Andrea Stucchi.
o Romania's Simona Halepspoiled, who took home her first European championship title after defeating Ksenia Pervak 6-0, 7-5.
o Kevin Krawietz and Marko Lenz of Germany, who won the doubles title as Julien Obry and Adrien Puget (FRA) were forced to withdraw due to a right ankle injury having lost the first set on a tie-break.
o Russian pair Yana Buchina and Marta Sirotkina, who defeated Martina Borecka and Martina Kubickova for the girl's doubles title

Under 18 (Bad Gastein/AUT):
o Swiss No. 3 seed Stephanie Voegele, who won the girl's European Junior Champion with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Oksana Kalashnikova.
o Michal Konecny of the Czech Republic, who capped a successful week by taking the boy's singles title.
o Fourth seeded Russian team of Evgeny Donskoy and Vladimir Karusevich, who defeated r the top seeded team of Piro and Jerome Inzerillo in straight sets.
From January 2007 through December 2009, HEAD will be the official racquet, tennis ball, string, bag, accessory, footwear and apparel partner of Tennis Europe, and will become the presenting sponsor of the Tennis Europe HEAD Winter Cup and the U12 Tennis Europe HEAD European Nations Cup.

Tennis Europe is the non-profit organizing body of European tennis, and is based in Basel, Switzerland. The Federation is comprised of 49 member nations and maintains excellent relationships with the sports’ governing bodies - the International Tennis Federation, ATP and WTA. Tennis Europe sanctions, manages and supports approximately 1000 international tennis tournaments a year across the continent.