This year’s 16 and Under International Tournament organised by the Tennis Club Kordin in conjunction with the Malta Tennis Federation and sponsored by Simonds Farsons Cisk plc. through their product San Michel Table Water was concluded recently.

It consisted of a full week of intense activity by a large number of Junior players who came from more than 11 European countries.

In all, six events were held throughout the week which drew a record number of players.

A very strong group of juniors came from Italy, four of whom occupied the top seeding positions of the Draw.

No 1 Seed Omar Giacalone was too good for No 2 Seed Alessio Piccioli who, due to a back injury, was forced to retire after losing the first set 1-6 and trailing 1-3 in the second. Final score 6-1; 3-1 (retired)

In the Girls 16 and Under, No 2 Seed had the better of the unseeded Martina Furlanetto who earlier beat No 1 Seed Alina Yanovskaya. Latvian Junior player Zane Zarina recovered from a set down, to win 4-6; 6-2;6-3.

In the Girls Doubles Zarina Zane and Nicole Kaluzik had an easy match over the No 2 Seeds Sara Romeo and Alice Piacenti winning 6-1; 6-1.

The Boys Doubles was an all Italian affair between the top seeds Omar Giacalone /Ettore Zito who were too strong for the unseeded Vincenzo Romeo/Tommaso Metti. In the semi-final they eliminated Maltese participant Omar Sudzuka and his partner Alessio Piccioli, a singles finalist.

The Maltese participation in the singles events failed to register any significant results except in the Consolation event with young Brenda Galea losing in the semi final while J.P Schembri and Matthew Booker went out in the quarters. Both players lost to the respective finalist of this consolation event.