Ranking Under-16 tournament at TCK

For the sixth consecutive year, the Tennis Club Kordin (TCK), in conjunction with the Malta Tennis Federation, will be hosting the 2011 U-16 Tennis Europe tournament next month.

Since the competition is part of the international tour, it has again attracted a significant number of players not only from Europe but also from other parts of the world.

The number of participants this year is outstanding with a total of 184 players, 120 of whom are boys and 64 girls.

They come from 26 different countries including Australia, US, Great Britain, Italy and Germany.

The tournament is expected to reach higher levels this time, having the best ranked player in the boys’ event at no.68 in Europe – Vasilios Stavropoulos, of Greece – and 160th ranked girl, Alina Semashko, of Russia.

The Maltese boys’ team will be composed of Raphael Sammut (no.71 in Europe), Bernard Cassar Torregiani (740), Mark Schranz (1,237) as well as Patrick Georgiev and Matthew Cassar Torregiani.

Rebecca McCarthy and Alexia Cassar, both holding a ranking of 1,363, Maria Giorgia Farrugia Sacco (1,671) and Naomi Zammit Ciantar will represent the country in the girls’ event.

The tournament will commence with the qualifying rounds on July 9 and 10 followed by matches from the main draw. The final is sche-duled for July 16.