BAMBERG, June 17, 2025 (by Dietmar Kaspar)

The 2025 edition of the ITF German Juniors concluded on Sunday in front of nearly 500 spectators at the TC Bamberg venue, with the highly anticipated singles finals of both the girls’ and boys’ events offering a fitting end to a thrilling tournament week.

Jamie Mackenzie Clinches Boys’ Title in Dominant Fashion

In the boys’ final, top seed Jamie Mackenzie from Düsseldorf lived up to expectations with a commanding performance against Spain’s Tito Chavez. The 17-year-old German, originally from New Zealand, unleashed a barrage of powerful serves and aggressive groundstrokes from the start, leaving his opponent little room to breathe in the first set, which he claimed 6–1.

The second set followed a similar pattern, as Mackenzie broke Chavez early before a 15-minute rain delay momentarily paused play. Upon resumption, Mackenzie held his nerve in a tough service game at 4–1, saving multiple break points before sealing the match with a service winner. After just over an hour of play, he completed a 6–1, 6–2 victory to capture his sixth ITF title.

Under the guidance of German national coach Philipp Petzschner, Mackenzie not only delivered another strong showing for the German Tennis Federation—following Diego Dedura’s win last year—but also earned 300 valuable ranking points. The result moves him close to the ITF junior top 20 and strengthens his chances of being seeded at the upcoming Junior Grand Slam at Wimbledon.

Reflecting on his performance, Mackenzie said:
“Today I was able to bring my A-game from the very start and felt really comfortable on court. I managed to prevent him from dictating with high forehands to my backhand, which was key. There was a lot of pressure, especially being the top seed and playing in Germany, but I handled it well and played at a high level throughout the week.”

Barros Rallies to Deny Bennemann in Girls’ Final

In the girls’ final, expectations were high for a tight contest between French Open doubles champion Eva Bennemann from Dortmund and top seed Victoria Luiza Barros of Brazil, last year’s runner-up in Bamberg. Bennemann started strong, dominating the early exchanges with aggressive returns and deep, powerful shots, racing to a 5–0 lead before rain once again interrupted play.

Although Bennemann closed out the first set after the delay, Barros returned with renewed determination. The Brazilian quickly erased an early break deficit in the second set and began to take control of rallies with clever drop shots and angles. She went on to level the match and carried the momentum into the deciding set, where she dominated with confident baseline play.

After nearly two hours, Barros sealed a hard-fought 1–6, 6–4, 6–3 victory—her fifth ITF World Tennis Tour title—and avenged last year’s final defeat to Japan’s Mayu Crossley.

“It was a tough week with a lot of pressure on me as the top seed and last year’s finalist,” said Barros after the match. “I wasn’t playing my best early on, but the rain delay at 0–5 helped me regroup. I made some changes and they worked. I’m so happy to win this title.”

Celebratory Closing Ceremony and Positive Outlook

The award ceremony was led by Christoph Poehlmann of the Bavarian Tennis Federation, with Gabriele Kepic, the City of Bamberg’s representative for education, schools, and sports, expressing gratitude to the BTV for trusting Bamberg to host such a prestigious youth event. TC Bamberg chairman Moritz Starke thanked all the club volunteers and acknowledged the continued contributions of his predecessor Axel Tschache in ensuring smooth operations.

Tournament Director Poehlmann praised the impressive crowd and strong attendance throughout the week, thanking his dedicated organizing team and expressing hope for a successful return of the tournament in 2026.

Full results and tournament details can be found at the official website: www.itf-german-juniors.de

Singles Finals Results

Boys:
Jamie Mackenzie (GER) def. Tito Chavez (ESP) 6–1, 6–2

Girls:
Victoria Luiza Barros (BRA) def. Eva Bennemann (GER) 1–6, 6–4, 6–3

Doubles Finals (Saturday)

Boys:
Emanuel Ivanisevic (CRO) / Matei Tororan (ROU) def. William Rejchtmann Vinciguerra / Linus Lagerbohm (SWE) 7–5, 6–3

Girls:
Victoria Pohle (GER) / Antonia Stoyanov (NED) def. Yihan Qu (CHN) / Jahnie van Zyl (RSA) 6–2, 6–1