Mark Ceban, 13, became the first British teenager to win the renowned Les Petit As solo title since Matt Smith in 1998 on Sunday.
Les Petit As is a well-known junior tennis competition for players under the age of 14 that takes place in Tarbes, France. It’s a prestigious tournament with a handful of the many former world No. 1s and Grand Slam winners on the event’s honour roll.
Third-seeded and Team Dunlop player, Ceban defeated Daniel Jade of Lebanon with a score of 6-3, 6-2.
“Mark imposed himself on the match really well – served well, returned well and got the basics right when he needed to. His opponent, while Lebanese, will actually play for France this year, so he had the crowd right behind him but Mark just looked really comfortable and managed himself well.”
It was overall a really positive tournament for Ceban. The young British player made a strong first impression by winning the first two matches in straight sets. He then overcame Itamar Verthaimer 6-4, 6-7, 6-4 to get to the quarterfinals.
To get to the semifinals, Ceban easily defeated Czech Republic’s Jakub Kusy 6-3, 6-3. There, he stunned Turkey’s Kaan Isik Koaner 1-6, 6-1, 7-5 to earn a spot in the championship match.
To find out more about Ceban, check out one of our videos with him made during out MTA Dunlop camp here.