Italy’s Pietro CAMPAGNA and Spain’s Carmen GOMEZ emerged as the standout performers on the final day of the 2026 JOOLA Europe Youth Series Riga Open, with both completing a remarkable U13 and U15 singles double. CAMPAGNA crowned his campaign with a dramatic comeback victory over Alexander MALOV in the U15 Boys’ Singles final after earlier claiming the U13 title, while GOMEZ followed her U13 Girls’ Singles triumph by taking gold in the U15 category. The final day also brought doubles titles for Motiejus ADAMONIS and Jimi KOIVUMAKI in U15 Boys, Filip AROSELL and Sigge Sang LEIGERT in U13 Boys, and Kamilla KADAR and Jiali LU in U13 Girls.
In the U15 Boys’ Singles, CAMPAGNA completed his remarkable double by fighting back from two games down against Spain’s Alexander MALOV to prevail 3-2 in a dramatic final.
MALOV dominated the opening game 11-3 and moved 2-0 ahead with an 11-9 win in the second. CAMPAGNA refused to let the match slip away, responding 11-7 and 11-9 to force a decider. The fifth game went down to the wire, with the Italian eventually completing his comeback at 12-10.
MALOV took silver, while Sweden’s Joel ISAKSSON and Finland’s Jimi KOIVUMAKI earned bronze. In the semi-finals, MALOV defeated ISAKSSON in straight games, 11-8, 11-9, 14-12, while CAMPAGNA was equally convincing against KOIVUMAKI, winning 11-4, 11-7, 11-7.
Earlier, CAMPAGNA had secured his first gold of the day in the U13 Boys’ Singles. The Italian was in control throughout the final against Poland’s Ignacy UTYLSKI, winning 11-7, 11-7, 11-6 for a 3-0 victory.
His route to the title had included a much tougher semi-final against Montenegro’s Milan VUCETIC. CAMPAGNA raced into a 2-0 lead before VUCETIC fought back to force a deciding game. The Italian responded emphatically, taking the fifth 11-2 to advance with a 3-2 victory. In the other semi-final, UTYLSKI recovered after losing the opening game to Germany’s Jonathan KILIAN and won the next three for a 3-1 success. VUCETIC and KILIAN took bronze.
Carmen GOMEZ matched CAMPAGNA’s achievement by completing her own U13 and U15 singles double.
In the U15 Girls’ Singles final, the Spaniard defeated Lithuania’s Emilia PSCOLOVSKA 3-1. GOMEZ edged the opening game 12-10 before PSCOLOVSKA responded in an equally tight second, 13-11. From there, GOMEZ took command, winning the next two games 11-6, 11-6 to secure her second singles title of the day.
PSCOLOVSKA had reached the final after a five-game battle against Spain’s Teresa CARRASCO VIEITO. CARRASCO VIEITO moved 2-1 ahead after taking the third game 15-13, but PSCOLOVSKA responded by winning the next two 11-9 and 11-7. In the other semi-final, GOMEZ beat compatriot Celia VALPUESTA 3-0. CARRASCO VIEITO and VALPUESTA secured bronze.
GOMEZ had already celebrated gold in an all-Spanish U13 Girls’ Singles final, overcoming Julia FERNANDEZ 3-1. GOMEZ took the opening game 11-9 before FERNANDEZ responded by the same score. From that point, GOMEZ took charge, winning the next two games 11-6 and 11-7 to seal the title.
In the semi-finals, GOMEZ overcame Lithuania’s Kaja TVOROGAL in straight games. After a tight opening game that the Spaniard won 12-10, she maintained control to complete a 3-0 victory. FERNANDEZ also progressed without dropping a game, beating Lithuania’s Eva CHALKOVSKYTE 11-7, 11-7, 11-8. TVOROGAL and CHALKOVSKYTE took bronze.
In the U15 Boys’ Doubles final, Lithuania’s Motiejus ADAMONIS and Finland’s Jimi KOIVUMAKI overcame Poland’s Beniamin KUROWSKI and Mikolaj PILCH 3-1. ADAMONIS and KOIVUMAKI took the opening game 11-8 before the Polish pair responded 11-5. The Lithuanian-Finnish combination then regained control, taking the next two games 11-8 and 11-6 to secure the title.
KUROWSKI and PILCH had prevailed in a five-game semi-final against Spain’s Irei GOMEZ and Alexander MALOV. The Spanish pair twice moved ahead, but KUROWSKI and PILCH responded on both occasions before taking the decider 11-7 for a 3-2 victory. In the other semi-final, ADAMONIS and KOIVUMAKI produced a commanding performance to beat Poland’s Maksymilian KSIAZEK and Krystian PYTKO 3-0. GOMEZ and MALOV, and KSIAZEK and PYTKO, earned bronze.
Sweden’s Filip AROSELL and Sigge Sang LEIGERT produced another commanding performance in the U13 Boys’ Doubles final, defeating Montenegro’s Uros MRKAJIC and Milan VUCETIC 3-0. The Swedish pair won 11-7, 11-8, 11-2 to take gold without dropping a game in either the semi-final or final.
AROSELL and LEIGERT had powered past Spain’s Daniel CASQUERO and Pablo MARTINEZ 3-0 in the semi-finals. The other semi-final went all the way to the deciding game, with MRKAJIC and VUCETIC twice coming from a game behind against Greece’s Nikolaos ALEXIDIS and Theofanis MARKOULAKIS before completing the comeback with an 11-6 win in the fifth. CASQUERO and MARTINEZ, and ALEXIDIS and MARKOULAKIS, finished with bronze.
Finland also had reason to celebrate as Kamilla KADAR and Jiali LU captured the U13 Girls’ Doubles title. They defeated Lithuania’s Karina MILTO and Kaja TVOROGAL 3-1 in the final. The Finnish pair won the opener 11-8, and although MILTO and TVOROGAL levelled the contest, KADAR and LU responded by taking the next two games 11-7 and 11-8.
Their semi-final had provided one of the closest battles of the doubles competition. Spain’s Julia FERNANDEZ and Carmen GOMEZ twice moved ahead, but KADAR and LU responded each time before edging the deciding game 13-11 for a 3-2 victory.
In the other semi-final, MILTO and TVOROGAL overcame the Czech-Spanish combination of Tereza BILOVA and Lola URIA 3-1. Three of the four games were decided by just two points, with the Lithuanian pair holding their nerve to take the final two games 12-10, 12-10. FERNANDEZ and GOMEZ, and BILOVA and URIA, completed the podium with bronze medals.
Photos by Rēzija Meļķe
