Brits harness spirit of Davis Cup counterparts in winning ITF titles
It’s been a good weekend for British men’s tennis.
While Leon Smith’s men secured a spot in the quarter-finals at the Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals, British duo Felix Gill and Jack Pinnington Jones delivered standout displays of their own with titles on the ITF World Tennis Tour.
Gill, a 19-year-old lefthander, struck it third-time lucky in an ITF title match, banishing memories of losses in his first two finals with a 7-6(4) 6-2 victory over Italian Gianluca Acquaroli at M15 Cairo.
His first professional singles crown came after runner-up finishes at M15 Ulcinj in September and M15 Antalya in October, and marks a key milestone in the former Top 30 junior’s transition to the men’s game.
Pinnington Jones, meanwhile, also a strong junior having peaked at No. 6 in the boys’ rankings at the turn of 2021, followed his first men’s title at M15 Antalya in October with a second triumph. The 18-year-old overcame Romanian Nicholas David Ionel on Greek soil to win M15 Heraklion.
Hungarian Zsombor Velc also won his maiden ITF title over the weekend, beating American Dusty Boyer to take the title on Indian soil at M15 Gurugram,
There were also wins for Argentine Juan Bautista Torres, Vietnam’s Nam Hoang Ly and Russian Alibek Kachmazov, who all won their third ITF titles; as well as Dutchman Guy Den Ouden, Poland’s Daniel Michalski, Czech Andrew Paulson and Colin Sinclair, of the Northern Mariana Islands.
The men's World Tennis Tour action continues this week with seven further tournaments. Keep up with the latest scores here.