HEAD sponsors successful Tennis Europe tournaments

HEAD recently sponsored the 2008 Nations Challenge and Junior Championships, organized by Tennis Europe, the largest regional association of the sport's governing body, the International Tennis Federation (ITF). HEAD will be the presenting sponsor of these summer events until 2009.

"We value our continued relationship with Tennis Europe as we complete our second year sponsoring the Nations Challenge and Junior Championships," said Robert Marte, executive vice president of HEAD’s racquet sports division. "We look forward to continuing our partnership as we bring our innovative designs and new technologies to a broader European market."

Ukraine emerged as the champions of the Tennis Europe Nations Cup, a European team championship event for players under 12 years of age. During the girl's singles competition in Ajaccio, France, Olexandra Korashvili of Ukraine defeated Estelle Cascino of France 7-5, 6-1 to bring the two nations to a tie. In the girl's doubles competition, Viktoriya Lushkova and partner Korashvili defeated French team of Cascino and Laura Tanfin 6-2, 2-6, 6-0, winning the title for Ukraine.

Meanwhile at the boy's competition in Alghero, Italy, the host nation claimed the title after a long and close battle. In the end, Italian No. 1 Gianluigi Quinzi and partner Riccardo Chessari defeated Borna Coric and Filip Kraljevic 7-5, 6-1 to claim the boy's title for Italy.

The 2008 Tennis Europe Junior Championships provided a forum for several European Tennis Federations to play in a true 'European Championship' event. Winners of this popular event included:

14 and under:
Petra Uberalova of the Slovak Republic, winning the 14 and under girls championship and beating former Tennis Europe Junior Tour #1 Daria Gavrilova in the final in Pilsen, Czech Republic.
Moos Sporken became the first ever Dutch winner of the 14 and under boy's event after defeating Martins Podzus of Latvia 3-6, 6-2, 7-5.
The boys' doubles event went to No. 3 seeded pair Kevin Kaczynski and Jannis Kahlke of Germany, while Daria Gavrilova and Yulia Putintseva of Russia teamed up to win the girls' title.

Under 16:
Henri Laaksonen of Finland, winning the second European Junior Championship title for the nation with a 6-2, 6-2 win over fourth seeded German Dominik Schulz.
Timea Babos of Hungary, who took home the title after defeating Italy's Martina Trevisan 7-5, 6-1.
Unseeded Poles Pavla Kania and Magda Linette, who upset Russia's Yana Buchina and Anna-Arina Marienko 5-7, 6-3, (10-8) for the girls' doubles title.
Germany's Kevin Krawietz and partner Dominik Schultz, who claimed the boy's doubles title with a 4-6, 6-3, (10-8) win over Spain's Carlos Boluda and Javier Martí.

Under 18:
Elena Bogdan of Romania prevented an all-French celebration as she beat Cindy Chala 6-4, 6-2 to win the girls' title.
Third seeded Guillaume Rufin, who became the second French player in three years to lift the European Junior Championships title, with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Henri Kontinen.
Richard Hampel and Radim Urbanek of the Czech Republic defeated Valdimir Kruk and Andrei Vasilevski of Belarus to claim the boy's doubles title.
Dutch pair Richel Hogenkamp and Lesley Kerkhove won the girl's doubles title with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Spanish pair of Leticia Costas and Yera Campos-Molina.

Tennis Europe is comprised of 49 European member nations and maintains excellent relationships with the sports’ governing bodies; the International Tennis Federation, ATP and WTA Tour.