ITF Grand Slam Development Fund: 17 Players and Teams to Europe Announced
According to The ITF – International Tennis Federation press release, the names of the 17 players who will form the international 18-and-under Teams have been announced. These players cum teams that will tour Europe during a 9 week period this summer.
The tour is financed by the Grand Slam Development Fund (GSDF), providing players not only with the opportunity to take participate in top level international competitions but also the invaluable exposure of travelling abroad as part of a team under the guidance of an ITF coach.
The teams will be accompanied by five team coaches:
- Roberta Burzagli – Brazil.
- Juan Manuel Esparcia – Spain.
- Petra Russegger – Australia.
- Suresh Menon – Malaysia.
- Gianluca Carbone – Italy.
The teams formed from the announced players and the respective Schedules are:
‘A’ Team
Boys
- Ray Ho (TPE)
- Stefan Palosi (ROU)
- Daniel Michalski (POL)
- Philip Henning (RSA)
Girls
- Daniela Vismane (LAT)
- Sada Nahimana (BDI)
- Maria Gabriela Rivera Corado (GUA)
- Gergana Topalova (BUL)
- Mariam Dalakishvili (GEO)
‘A’ Team Schedule
- 9-13 May – Training camp in Italy
- 14-20 May – 40th Torneo “Città Di Santa Croce” Mauro Sabatini, Italy (Grade 1)
- 21-27 May – 59th Trofeo Bonfiglio – Campionati Internazionali d’Italia Juniores, Italy (Grade A)
- 28 May-2 June – Training camp in Italy (on red clay)/ITF Pro Circuit tournament (for boys with a professional ranking only)
- 3-9 June – Roland Garros Junior French Championships (Grade A)
- 24-30 June – Training camp in England (on grass)
- 1-6 July – Junior International Roehampton (Grade 1)
- 7-15 July – The Junior Championships, Wimbledon (Grade A)
‘B’ Team
Boys
- Seon Yong Han (KOR)
- Sebastian Rodriguez (PER)
- Minjong Park (KOR)
- Alexander Zgirovsky (BLR)
Girls
- Oona Orpana (FIN)
- Romina Ccuno (PER)
- Rut Galindo (GUA)
- Ana Geller (ARG)
‘B’ team Schedule
- 26-29 April – Training camp in Italy
- 30 April-6 May – 35th Torneo Bayer di Salsomaggiore Terme, Italy (Grade 2)
- 8-13 May – 26th Torneo Internazionale Città di Prato, Italy (Grade 2)
- 14-20 May – 40th Torneo “Città Di Santa Croce” Mauro Sabatini, Italy (Grade 1)
- 21-27 May – 59th Trofeo Bonfiglio – Campionati Internazionali d’Italia Juniores, Italy (Grade A)
- 28 May-2 June – 54th Astrid Bowl Charleroi, Belgian International Junior Championships (Grade 1)
- 3-9 June Roland Garros Junior French Championships (Grade A)
Grand Slam Development Fund Brief
The GSDF was originally established in 1986 to encourage and increase competitive opportunities in developing tennis regions. With annual contributions from the four Grand Slam tournaments, the Fund has become an effective means to develop competitive tennis worldwide. The Fund has contributed more than $50 million to tennis development since its inception, with more than $3 million available for distribution in 2018.
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