Dorset’s young star Toby Samuel has yet again shown why he is one of the best upcoming players in the county and the U.K with another very promising display on the European stage.
Samuel represented Great Britain at the recent Tennis Europe Junior Tour event in Bressuire, France, in the boys 11 & under age group in the singles and doubles and impressing in both.
In the singles draw, he survived consecutive three setters against native French opposition. First he beat Thibault Dereeper 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 in the opening round, before coming from a set down against Jules Fescaux to win 2-6, 6-2, 6-3.
The third round was where Samuel played some of his best tennis as he cruised past another young Frenchman in the form of Leo Deflandre, winning 6-3, 6-0 to earn a place in the quarter finals.
In what proved to be his last match in single draw, the Dorset player came up against a very strong opponent, but showed his ability and resilience after losing the opening set on a tie-break 7-6 (4). Samuel charged out of the blocks in the second set and took it 6-3 to level things up.
The two players could hardly be separated in the deciding set, but Deflandre managed to edge ahead, breaking at a crucial time in the set. Samuel was unable to consolidate a break back and went down 6-4, meaning that his attentions would then switch to the doubles event.
Samuel was partnered by fellow Brit Benjamin Heynold and the pair became a deadly duo in the doubles draw. They won their opening match in dominant style, dropping just a single game in a 6-0, 6-1 win.
Their quarter-final was a closer affair, but the result stayed the same as they powered through to a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Samuel’s singles third round opponent Fescaux and his partner Theo Reulle.
The semi-final saw both pairs produce some brilliant tennis in a great encounter. Samuels and Heynold were forced to come from a set down by Quentin Kouvtanovitch and Timo Legout. The British duo eventually won the match on a champion’s tie-break, they registered a 3-6, 7-5, 1-0(6) to book their place in the final at the same time.
In the title match, they faced their sternest test yet as they took on the Dutch duo of Liam Liles and Thijmen Loof who were yet to drop a set so far in the tournament. A bright start from Samuel and Heynold saw them take the opening set 7-5, to put them in a commanding position.
However, their Dutch opponents came back in the match in the second set, winning it 7-5 to send the final into a title deciding champion’s tie-break. Unfortunately for the British pair, their Liles and Loof played a strong breaker and took full control early on. Samuel and Heynold were beaten 10-1 in the decider, seeing them finish as tournament runners up.
For more information on the Tennis Europe Junior Tour boys 11&under in Bressuire, see the links below;
Singles draw
Doubles draw
By Harry Lund