Tennis - Damien Laporte on Europe Tour |13 July 2018

Local tennis player Damien Laporte is presently taking part in a 21-day Tennis Europe tour for the age group 16 years old and under which will take place in Amsterdam, Belgium and Slovakia.

Laporte has been training at the Sanchez Casal Academy in Barcelona, Spain, since September last year and he recently took part in the T3 Amstelpark Tennis Academy Trophy in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

The last time he participated in the Europe tour was in July 2016 after he won the title of Best African Junior Boys Under 14.

Created in 1990, the Tennis Europe Junior Tour has long been the platform of choice for the launch of a successful career, and in recent years has heralded the arrival of such top players as Justine Henin, Roger Federer, Caroline Wozniacki, Andy Murray, Victoria Azarenka, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Maria Sharapova, to name but a few.

The tour is divided into three age groups; 16 & Under, 14 & Under and (since 2000) 12 & Under.

In 2016, these three categories combined for a total of some 360+ tournaments, staged across 44 of the 50 member nations of Tennis Europe. The exponential growth of the tour - which last year saw participation from over 10,000 players - represents an astonishing diversification of its original 43 tournaments over two age groups.

The 16-14 & Under Tour events are played at three levels, ranging from the elite Category 1 events, which attract the strongest draws, to the more numerous and accessible Category 2 and 3 events. Boys and girls events in both singles and doubles events are held at all tournaments, with some offering additional consolation tournaments for early losers.

Laporte’s results at the T3 Amstelpark Tennis Academy Trophy

Singles

Round 1 won versus 12th seed Jim Aarts (NEd) - 6/0,  6/0

Round 2 won versus unseeded Jake Fellows (USA) - 6/1,  6/2

Round 3 won versus 8th seed Noah Schlagenhauf (GER) - 6/1,  7/5

Quarterfinals lost versus 1st seed Frank Jonker (NED) - 6/4, 7/5

He partnered with Keean Shah (RSA) for the doubles

Round 1 won versus Jim Aarts (NED) & Xander Temming (NED) - 6/1, 6/1

Round 2 won versus Stian Klaassen (NED) & Daan Van Djik (NED) - 7/6, 7/5

Round 3 lost versus Karel Blom (NED) & Miko Wassermann - 6/4, 6/3