Since 1975, Le Touquet, in Northern France, has been hosting the 16&Under Boys Summer Cup aka the Borotra Cup, and has welcomed players like Yannick Noah in 1977, Mats Wilander in 1980, Richard Gasquet and Jo Tsonga in 2001, Rafael Nadal in 2002 and Novak Djokovic in 2003.
The event brings together the best 8 European teams, and acts as the European regional qualifying competition for the Junior Davis Cup.

I spent a few days in Le Touquet to attend the event last August. I did enjoy the tennis and the city, and plan to attend again in 2018, here’s my recap:

Two time defending champions eased into the Davis Cup semifinals with a 5-0 victory over Japan. Both teams played without their number ones, Tomas Berdych and Kei Nishikori.

Czech Republic will next face France who came back from a 2-0 deficit to top Germany 3-2.

Radek Stepanek vs Tatsuma Ito

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Czech Republic defeats Netherlands: 3-1

Robin Haase def Radek Stepanek 3-6 6-4 6-7 6-2 6-1
Tomas Berdych def Igor Sijsling 6-3 6-3 6-0
Tomas Berdych/Radek Stepanek def Robin Haase/Jean-Julien Rojer 7-5 1-6 7-6 7-6
Tomas Berdych def Thiemo De Bakker 6-1 6-4 6-3

The Czechs have not lost since suffering a huge upset against Kazakhstan in the first round in 2011. The last time the Dutch won a World Group tie was in 2005 against Switzerland. That’s quite a long time ago…

Japan defeats Canada: 3-1

Kei Nishikori def Peter Polansky 6-4 6-4 6-4
Franck Dancevic def Go Soeda 6-4 7-6 6-1
Kei Nishikori/Yasutaka Uchiyama def Franck Dancevic/Daniel Nestor 6-3 7-6 4-6 6-4
Kei Nishikori def Franck Dancevic 6-2 1-0 ret

Lead by 18th ranked Kei Nishikori, Japan sailed into the Davis Cup quarterfinals for the first time with a 3-1 victory against an injury-plagued Canada: Milos Raonic pulled out with a left-foot injury on Thursday while Frank Dancevic retired with a stomach injury in the fourth rubber.

Germany defeats Spain: 3-0

Philipp Kohlschreiber def Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2 6-4 6-2
Florian Mayer def Feliciano Lopez 7-6 7-6 1-6 5-7 6-3
Tommy Haas/Philipp Kohlschreiber def Fernando Verdasco/David Marrero 7-6 6-7 7-6 6-3

Five-time champion Spain will face a World Group playoff in September for the second year in a row. Playing without Rafael Nadal, David Ferrer and Tommy Robredo, Spain was ousted by Germany 3-0.

France defeats Australia: 3-0

Richard Gasquet def Nick Kyrgios 7-6 6-2 6-2
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga def Lleyton Hewitt 6-3 6-2 7-6
Richard Gasquet/Jo-Wilfried Tsonga def Chris Guccione/Lleyton Hewitt 5-7 7-6 7-5 6-2

Arnaud Clément relied on his two top players Richard Gasquet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to get past Australia, lead by Lleyton Hewitt. Hewitt and Guccione were previously undefeated in the Davis Cup as a doubles team, but they were overpowered by the French pair.

Great Britain defeat USA: 3-1

Andy Murray def Donald Young 6-1 6-2 6-3
James Ward def Sam Querrey 1-6 7-6 3-6 6-4 6-1
Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan def Colin Fleming/Dominic Inglot 6-2 6-3 3-6 6-1
Andy Murray def Sam Querrey 7-6 6-7 6-1 6-3

Great Britain are into the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup for the first time since 1986. It is also the first time Britain have beaten the USA since 1935! The hero of the tie is James Ward, ranked 175, who beat former top 20 Sam Querrey on Friday.

Italy defeats Argentina:

Carlos Berlocq def Andreas Seppi 4-6 6-0 6-2 6-1
Fabio Fognini def Juan Monaco 7-5 6-2 6-2
Simone Bolelli/Fabio Fognini def Eduardo Schwank/Horacio Zeballos 6-7 7-6 7-6 6-4
Fabio Fognini def Carlos Berlocq 7-6 4-6 6-1 6-4

With his third victory of the weekend, Fabio Fognini sent Italy through to its second quarterfinal since 1998. It is Argentina’s first opening round defeat in 13 years.

Kazakhstan defeats Belgium: 3-2

Mikhail Kukushkin def Ruben Bemelmans 6-4 6-7 6-2 6-3
Andrey Golubev def David Goffin 7-6 3-6 4-6 6-2 12-10
Ruben Bemelmans/Olivier Rochus def Evgeny Korolev/Mikhail Kukushkin 6-2 6-7 6-3 7-6
David Goffin def Mikhail Kukushkin 4-6 6-3 3-6 6-4 6-0
Andrey Golubev def Ruben Bemelmans 6-2 6-3 6-1

Switzerland defeats Serbia: 3-0

Roger Federer def Ilija Bozoljac 6-4 7-5 6-2
Stanislas Wawrinka def Dusan Lajovic 6-4 4-6 6-1 7-6
Marco Chiudinelli/Michael Lammer def Filip Krajinovic/Nenad Zimonjic 7-6 3-6 7-6 6-2

Roger Federer made last-minute decision to play the Davis Cup tie in Serbia and he joined forces with recent Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka and doubles pair Marco Chiudinelli and Michael Lammer to oust Djokovic-less Serbia 3-0.
The Davis Cup has never been a top priority for him and it remains a true hole in Federer’s impressive curriculum vitae.

The quarterfinals:

Japan – Czech Republic
France – Germany
Italy – Great Britain
Switzerland – Kazakhstan

Women’s Singles

Gold: Serena Williams (USA)
Silver: Maria Sharapova (Russia)
Bronze: Victoria Azarenka (Belarus)

Women’s Doubles

Gold: Serena Williams and Venus Williams (USA)
Silver: Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka (Czech Republic)
Bronze: Maria Kirilenko and Nadia Petrova (Russia)

Mixed Doubles

Gold: Victoria Azarenka and Max Mirnyi (Belarus)
Silver: Laura Robson and Andy Murray (GB)
Bronze: Lisa Raymond and Mike Bryan (USA)

Men’s Singles

Gold: Andy Murray (GB)
Silver: Roger Federer (Switzerland)
Bronze: Juan Martin del Potro (Argentina)

Men’s Doubles

Gold: Bob and Mike Bryan (USA)
Silver: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Michael Llodra (France)
Bronze: Richard Gasquet and Julien Benneteau (France)

Photos: Getty Images, Reuters