India crowned champion of IC Rod Laver Junior Challenge Finals

By SDCN Editor

La Jolla, CA–India finished with a sparkling 5-0 record to capture the title at the 2023 IC Rod Laver Junior Challenge Worldwide Finals on Saturday afternoon at the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club. 

The Indian team defeated Argentina 4-2 in Round Five to conclude the international junior tennis competition in First Place. 

India put an exclamation point on its fifth-straight victory as Manas Dhamne and Rushil Khosla clinched the match in Boys’ Doubles with a convincing 6-0, 6-0 victory over Argentina’s Juan Morresi and Ramiro Toninelli.

 “They played their hearts out. I’m proud of these four kids. They played really well. I never consider this to be an easy tournament because all these kids are so good. USA and Great Britain have very strong teams,” said Team Captain Vikram Anand. “It could have gone either way. We got lucky in some of the matches. We didn’t come here thinking we were going to win it. I’m just glad it turned out this way.”

India began its run to the tournament title earlier in the week with a 4-2 win over Great Britain, followed by a 5-1 victory over the United States and a 4-2 win against Italy. On Friday, India defeated South Africa 5-1.  

“The scoreline really doesn’t tell you how tough it was. In the Italy match, one of the doubles matches went to a (match) tiebreaker. It was anybody’s game,” Anand added. “The key was really the doubles. In spite of losing some of the singles matches the girls won the doubles. It was good to see them play strong doubles.”

In other Round Five action on the final day of the tournament, Italy finished in Second Place with a 4-1 record as they routed South Africa 6-0. Italy dominated from start to finish as Italians Lorenzo Angelini, Michele Mecarelli, Ylenia Zocco, and Ilary Pistola all won singles matches without the loss of a set.

Great Britain captured Third Place with a 3-2 record after easing past the United States 5-1. Joseph Mazingham and Arthur Attrill defeated American Stiles Brockett and Jonah Hill 6-1, 7-6 (5) in Boys’ Doubles to clinch the victory.  

The International Lawn Tennis Club, aka, IC which has been fostering Friendship and Sportsmanship in International Tennis since 1924, established the IC Junior Challenge in 2005 to help develop junior tennis players 16 and under and give them the opportunity to compete internationally. In 2018, tennis legend Rod Laver, a longstanding IC member, agreed to endorse the international team competition by adding his name to its title – and it has since been known as “The IC Rod Laver Junior Challenge.”

The event is open to all ICs around the world (over 40 countries). A regional competition is played on each of the five continents and the winners of the regional events advance to play the Worldwide Finals the following year, together with a team fielded by the host country. Each team comprises two girls and two boys, with an adult as captain. All juniors play both singles and doubles matches against other country teams, with all matches counting towards the overall team result.

Both the regional competitions and Worldwide Finals offer players a full and rewarding itinerary, not just their matches but also cultural activities and tennis clinics for underprivileged children. The IC Rod Laver Junior Challenge offers participants a chance to meet players of a similar age from all over the world – in a way that embodies the IC motto: “Hands across the net, friendship across the ocean.” 

Considered one of the greatest players of all time, Rod Laver is the only player in tennis history to capture two calendar Grand Slams (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open). The Australian tennis legend accomplished the feat in 1962 as an amateur and in 1969 as a professional. During his 23-year tennis career, Laver won 200 tournaments, including 20 major titles in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. The Aussie left-hander held the World No. 1 ranking from 1964-70.

The Centre Court Stadium at the Australian Open in Melbourne Park was renamed Rod Laver Arena in January 2000 and a bronze statue of Laver hitting his signature backhand was unveiled on the eve of the 2017 Australian Open in front of the venue. Laver, who is nicknamed “The Rocket,” was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1981. He currently lives in Carlsbad.