The 2012 edition of Europe’s biggest indoor junior tennis competition, the Tennis Europe Winter Cups by HEAD, will feature a 12 & Under age category for the first time. The move comes in response to demand from member nations for an indoor team competition for the age group, and follows the runaway success of its summer equivalent, the Tennis Europe Nations Challenge by HEAD.
A total of 55 national teams have entered the inaugural 12 & Under event, with qualifying rounds set to be played in Austria, Czech Republic, Romania, Russia and Turkey.
The addition of the new age category means that the competition, usually played over three weekends in February, will be extended by an extra week. The 12 & Under players will make their debut during the weekend of 27-29 January, with the the girls’ final rounds in Sheffield (GBR) during the weekend of 10-12 February.
Further details of this event can be found on the Tennis Europe website.
Established in 1976, the Winter Cups has traditionally been a highlight of the Tennis Europe Junior Tour, and has seen players such as Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Kim Clijsters and Vera Zvonareva represent their countries for the first time in team competitions.