Scotwatch: Robertson, Jefferson and Oluwadare clinch national titles
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Welcome to Scotwatch - your weekly update on our players wherever they are around the world, covering the youngest juniors to ATP, WTA and ITF pros.
Charlie Robertson, Henry Jefferson and Hepzibah Oluwadare were winners at the Junior National Championships in Roehampton.
Robertson and Jefferson took the 18U boys’ doubles title by beating Hugo Coquelin and Henry Searle 6-1 7-5 in the final, while Oluwadare won her second successive 16U girls’ doubles with partner Hannah Klugman, beating Brooke Black and Ciara Moore 6-2 6-3.
Robertson and Jefferson are now guaranteed a place in the qualifying draw for the junior boys’ doubles at Wimbledon.
Elsewhere at the nationals, Ben Hudson linked up with Phoenix Weir to reach the semi-finals of the boys’ doubles, while Oluwadare also lost in the 18U girls’ doubles semi-finals.
Weir and Ella McDonald’s singles hopes were cut short in the semi-finals by eventual tournament winners Luca Pow and Isabelle Lacy.
Reid comes close in Seoul
World number two Gordon Reid came close to another doubles title at the Seoul Korea Open ITF 1 Series, finishing as runner-up alongside Belgian partner Joachim Gerard.
Reid, who also reached the semis of the singles event, losing out to Gerard 6-3 6-2, will compete again this week in Ilzuka at the Japan Open ITF Super Series.
No luck in Monte Carlo for top Scots
Andy Murray and Cameron Norrie both suffered first-round losses, to Alex de Minaur and Francisco Cerundolo respectively, as Monte Carlo hosted the first clay-court Masters 1000 event of the year.
In round one of the doubles, Jamie Murray and Michael Venus lost out to Karen Khachanov and eventual singles winner Andrey Rublev. Norrie partnered with rising US star Ben Shelton, but came up short against Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz.
The Scots will be back in action this week with Norrie competing at the ATP 500 in Barcelona, Spain, and Jamie Murray at the ATP 250 Banja Luka in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
National Player Programme round-up
NPP players were in action far and wide. Hamish Stewart enjoyed an impressive week, winning four matches to reach the final at the UK Pro League, before losing out to Giles Hussey 7-6 6-2. He looks to continue his form this week at the M25 ITF Nottingham.
Across the Atlantic, Connor Thomson and Ewen Lumsden were celebrating at the University of South Carolina and Mississippi State University respectively as they picked up wins to round off the SEC regular season at home.
Thomson picked up another ranked win in singles as South Carolina downed University of Florida. Ewen picked up both singles and doubles wins during Mississippi State's win over Arkansas, before they fell to SEC regular season champions Georgia on Thursday.
Jamie Connel and Florida State University will join Thomson and Lumsden this Thursday in Auburn, Alabama, as they start their campaigns for the SEC Team Championship.
Jacob Fearnley and Texas Christian University lost out to top-ranked University of Texas to finish the BIG 12 Regular Season as runners up. TCU travel to Lawrence, Kansas, this weekend as they look to claim this year’s BIG 12 conference championship.
Ali Collins lost out in the quarter-finals of W80 Zaragoza in Spain with partner Freya Christie, while Scott Duncan competed in his third ATP Challenger of the year with partner Marcus Willis as he continues to climb the doubles rankings.
Junior National Tour recap
Several juniors represented Scotland at national events last week.
The Welsh Junior Open was hosted in Wrexham, where 10U boys Cameron Rae, Jack Fair and Fraser Newcombe all qualified for the main draw.
Matilda Kasselstrand reached the last 16 in the 10U girls’ competition, while Fraser Newcombe made the final of the grade 2 event.
The 9U National Tour in Bolton saw Ava Steel and Scarlett McHardy play their first grade 2 event alongside six boys; Frank Atkins, James Huang, Oscar Cook, Ben Scott, Fraser Dick and Alec Brodie. Frank Atkins finished third overall.
Among the other Scots competing at the Welsh Junior Open were Arthur Mackinlay in the 11U category, and Cameron Rae, Anna Curtis and Lea Khochfar in the 12U girls. In the 14U boys, Lucas Nolte saved eight match points to down the top seed before losing in the quarter-finals.
