Budapest bids farewell with pair of dramatic finals
The dramatic title matches at the 2018 Junior Davis Cup and Junior Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Finals, where Spain defeated France to win the boys’ event and USA’s girls triumphed against Ukraine, were a fitting finale – not just to this week, but to three years in Budapest.
The tournament will move on to Lake Nona in Florida next year, with the location having been announced at Sunday’s closing ceremony. The United States Tennis Association’s state-of-the-art national campus will play host the event, which will be the first time the Finals have returned to the USA since 1994.
But wherever the tournament is held in future, it will retain a special place in the calendar for those who appreciate this colourful festival of junior tennis.
“You get to see so many tournaments during the year, but this one is so unique because it’s not just on Saturday it’s two people left because it’s the final,” tournament director Krisztina Tamas explained. “It’s the whole week, all the teams are here, everybody is competing, you can talk to them, get to know them and show them around the city.”
Playing for your country is a rare privilege in tennis, and the 96 players who donned their national colours this week clearly relished the experience.
“Representing my country is unreal, it’s an unreal experience and something I am always going to be reminded of,” Brazil’s Natan Rodrigues said. “We really feel like our idols. There’s so many emotions, so much cheering and everything. It is amazing.”
Having your teammates’ exuberant support on the sidelines is another feature of the tournament that makes it stand out from the rest of the calendar.
“I love supporting off court, I thought I was so loud, so energetic,” USA’s Alexa Noel enthused. “I felt like I was playing against the opponent too.”
That support certainly came in handy for Noel’s team – after she lost the opening rubber of the Junior Fed Cup Final to Lyubov Kostenko, she was back in the stands roaring on teammate Cori Gauff, who hauled the Americans back into the tie with a three-set victory against Dasha Lopatetskaya.
Gauff and Noel then saved a match point in the match tiebreak of the decisive doubles rubber before downing Kostenko and Lopatetskaya to retain the title for USA – and tie Australia’s record of five Junior Fed Cup titles.
The Junior Davis Cup title haul was also tied this week, after Spain won Sunday’s final against France in a fashion which was arguably even more dramatic. After Lilian Marmousez’s victory against Mario Gonzalez Fernandez, Carlos Alcaraz Garfia came back from match point down to win his singles against Harold Mayot to level the tie.
Alcaraz Garfia then paired with Pablo Llamas Ruiz to overcome Marmousez and Martin Breysach in the doubles rubber to secure a sixth Junior Davis Cup title for Spain – equalling a record also set by Australia.
Such tense scenes seemed an appropriate finish to a week which showcased the very best of the junior game. If these players are able to harness their prodigious talent and successfully transition into the professional game in the next few years, then the sport will be in safe hands.
“We saved match point in the singles but we played very, very well to win the singles and the doubles,” Alcaraz Garfia beamed after Spain’s victory. “My partner and me played so good and we are the champions of the world.”
It must be a pretty special feeling, especially for 15-and 16-year-olds. But even those who did not win the titles evidently enjoyed their time at the event this week. And Rodrigues had a message for the 2019 organisers - one that was shared by many of his peers.
“Keep it like this next year!” he laughed.