They did it ! Finally, Ireland will see the semifinals of Master’U BNP Paribas. Started at 10 am on the courts of the center of Ligue Auvergne Rhône-Alpes tennis in Seyssins, the Irish epic ended at 20:30 after a successful mixed doubles composed of Dan Maloney and Julie Byrne 6/1 6/1. Facing China, the Irish won all the points even if the boys did not deserve. But it was necessary to wait for the double decisive to finally explode with joy. Tomorrow, on the road to the final, will rise the American ogre.

The coach’s reaction “It’s amazing. We are so happy with this qualification in the semifinal. We will do everything to worry the USA “

• Thursday 29th of november – 7 p.m : Opening cérémonie and draw at the Grenoble City Hall
• Friday 30 of november  – From 9 a.m : Quarter Final in the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Tennis League Center (Seyssins)
• Saturday 1st of december – From 9 a.m : Semi-Finals and ranking matches in the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Tennis League Center (Seyssins)
• Sunday 2nd of december – From 9 a.m : FINAL and ranking matches in the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Tennis League Center (Seyssins)

What will be the level of Italy for its first participation in the Master’U BNP Paribas from November 30 to December 2 in Grenoble? Doubts linger around the transalpine selection that will go to Isère for the 13th edition of the world event of university tennis.

Initially, Italy had to come with four players who competed in the Summer Universiade but many forfeits thwarted the plans of Pompeo Leone, the head of delegation. Anyway, there will be six students on the courts of the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Tennis League, whose names are:

Aurora and Alice Papino, Flavia Fida, Francesco Morelli, Simone Blando and Federico Bellifemine.

Ireland in the last 4 ? Only the truth of the courts is to be taken into account, but Ireland arrive in Grenoble with ambition ! “In previous years we have travelled with strong teams but never with so much depth. I would also say our experience as 5 of the 6 players have previously played the event and know  what to expect. Our motivation is simple, as a minimum we want a top 4 finish” said Jamie Pilkington one of the two coaches with Garry Cahill. Answer the 2 of december in the Capital of the Alps.

Ireland Team 2018 

Amy Bowtell, Julie Byrne, Sinead Lohan, Simon Carr, Pete Bothwell and Dan Moloney.

Year after year, Team Germany is closer to the big final. With two third place in the last three years (2015 and 2017), the students coached by Christopher Aumüller want to reach the final after three losses in a row in the last 4. For the 13th Master’U BNP Paribas, Germany will have a lot of experience with Julia Kimmelmann (many good results in doubles this year), Christoph Negritu (512 ATP) and Demian Raab who already know the requirements of the world event of university tennis. In Grenoble, their teammates will be Vivian Heisen (n558 WTA, best 328 in october 2017), Lena Ruppert and Nikolas Walterscheid-Tukic.

50% is the number of the France 2018 team! 50% of the players called for the Master’U BNP Paribas 2018 were in Lille last year, and 50% are students in Grenoble. If we add Emmanuelle Salas native of Haute-Savoie, and coach Nicolas Tourte, player and coach in Grenoble, this team from France has a real local color. An asset that could be a big chance in key moments.

Come and support “Les Bleus” and other nations from November 30 to December 2 at the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Tennis League Center in Seyssins. Invitations and ticketing HERE

French Team 2018

Clémence Fayol – University of Rennes 2

Emmanuelle Salas – Florida State University (USA)

Margaux Orange – University Grenoble Alpes

Julien Eon – University Grenoble Alpes

Paul Cayre – Grenoble School of Management

Robin Cocouvi – University Paris Diderot

Staff

Coachs : Nicolas Tourte et Cyrille Monet

Manager : Christophe Millard

Physio : Julien Ferando

In 2017, for the first time, China slipped into the last 4 of the Master’U BNP Paribas after a success against Russia. The team of Ren and Lu, Chinese coaches, is on the good way to show the qualifity of university tennis in China. In Grenoble, “the Middle Kingdom” will present itself with the following team: Zhaotai LI, Fajing SUN, ranked 646 at ATP after being 402 in July 2017, Xiaojun DONG men’s side, and Yuheng MA, Yifei YANG and Xiaorong DONG side women.

Ready and mobilized to reconnect with victory. Winner of the Master’U BNP Paribas from 2011 to 2016, Team USA will look great in Grenoble for the 13th edition (November 30-December 2).

Last year finalists Ashley Lahey and Brandon Holt, son of former world number 1 Tracy Austin, will live their second consecutive Master’U BNP Paribas. They will play with Jada Hart, Maria Mateas ranked in the Top 300 WTA, Oliver Crawford and Emil Reinberg. The iconic Greg Patton will be leading the USA squad with his son Garrett and Amanda Augustus.

TEAM USA 2018

Ashley Lahey (picture) : Pepperdine, n°4 NCCA, n°617 WTA

Jada Hart : UCLA, N°15 NCAA

Maria Mateas : Duke, n°1 rookie NCAA, n°299 WTA

Brandon Holt : USC, n°4 NCAA, n°733 ATP

Oliver Crawford : Florida, n°20 NCAA, n°742 ATP

Emil Reinberg : Georgia, n°38 NCAA, n°1058 ATP

In Italy, newcomer for the 13th edition from November 30 to December 2, Alessandro Ceppellini (University of Genoa-photo left) was crowned university champion at the end of May. In the double, Leonardo Baldi-Edoardo Trombin won. In the women’s tournament, Natasha Piludu (Bari University) won the gold medal after a 6-1/6-1 victory in the final. Beaten in the singles final, Chiara Arcangeli took revenge in the double with her partner Veronica Valgimigli.

In French-speaking Belgium, the Haute-Ecole de la Province de Liège (girls) and the Catholic University of Louvin (men) won the team tournament. In Germany, the team tournament will end in July. The quarter-finals are under way and it remains in contention, the 8 best universities. For France, click on this article Feuerstein and Szewczyk 2018 university champions.

In Great-Britain, title holders after their brilliant victory in Lille in December 2017, the finals of the university championships were held in late April. Filip Veger (University of Durham) won 6-3 / 6-2 over Isaac Stout (University of Sussex). In the women’s draw, the players from the University of Stirling have won everything! Natasha Fourouclas (South Africa) grabbed the trophy by beating fellow Stirling star Patricia Skowronski (6-4 / 6-2). A success reinforced with the double and the pair Rebecca Pedrazzi-Ingrid Vojcinakova who took the best on the two finalists of the singles (photo of the players of the University of Stirling on the right)! However, Scott Duncan (winner in Lille) and Kieran Macarty dropped the title against the pair Ben Jones-Tiernan Brady (University of Bath). Finally, in teams, girls and boys from Durham University climbed onto the top step of the podium.

In Ireland, the university championship was held in February in Belfast (Northern Ireland). The University College Dublin women’s team emerged victorious from their match against Dublin City University (5-0). The men’s title returned to Trinity College University which won 5-3, also against DCU.

And to conclude go to United States, in the NCCA championship, where the champions are known since the end of May and the long-awaited finals each year by American students! In teams, it is the Stanford girls and Wake Forest boys, the first title in history for the University of Winston Salem, who win the precious trophy. In women’s singles, Arianne Hartono (Netherlands) of Ole Miss-Oxford, also offers the first title in history for Ole Miss Tennis. In the final she took the best of Ashley Lahey (Pepperdine) 6-4 / 6-2. Eden Richardson and Jess Golovin of the University of Louisiana are the new queens of doubles. On the boys side, it is a foreign student who also wins the NCAA title since in the final 100% Wake Forest, the Cypriot Petros Chrysochos (Wake Forest) won 6-3 / 6-3 against Borna Gojo. Master’U 2017 finalist Martin Redlicki and his partner Evan Zhu (University of Los Angeles California) won the doubles title for Martin Joyce and Mikael Torpegaard (Ohio) 6-7 (8) / 7-6 ( 4) / 1-0 (9).

We have not find any informations about China…