Whoever is to be crowned 2019 ITF Junior Finals boys’ and girls’ champions know the hurdles they have to surpass after the draw for the competition’s round-robin phase was concluded in the stunning setting of Huanglongxi.

There will be some heavyweight tussles in the boys’ draw over the coming days as three of the top five in the ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Rankings presented by IMG Academy were placed in Group Shuai.

Czech Republic’s Jonas Forejtek and Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune of Denmark, who are Nos. 1 and 3 in the rankings respectively, were pitched together, and will do battle with Harold Mayot of France and Chinese wildcard Bu Yunchaokete.

The top two in each group qualify for the semi-finals and Mayot, buoyed by his impressive victory at JA Osaka last week, is unfazed by the prospect of rubbing shoulders with two Junior Grand Slam winners or facing Junior US Open champion Forejtek in his opening match on Court No. 2.

Rune, who triumphed at the Roland Garros Junior Championships in June, and Bu will do battle in the other Group Shuai clash on Court No. 1.

“It is clearly a tough draw but I am confident I can play well and win some matches,” Mayot told itftennis.com. “I played six unbelievable matches in Osaka which have given me a lot of confidence but this is a new tournament and there are eight amazing players.

“It is going to be a tough match against Forejtek, he won the Junior US Open last month, but I am looking forward to it.”

Another player to arrive in Chengdu on the crest of wave is Mayot’s compatriot Diane Parry who was also victorious in Osaka – a win which propelled her to the top of the girls’ world rankings.

Parry faces American Hurricane Tyra Black and was also drawn alongside China’s Zheng Qinwen and Natsumi Kawaguchi of Japan in Group Li. Zheng and Kawaguchi will go head-to-head on Centre Court in the opening match of the competition.

A successful showing at the ITF Junior Finals would go some way towards Parry cementing her position at the top of the rankings and boost her claim to finish the year in the much-coveted No. 1 slot. That thought has certainly crossed the 17-year-old’s mind.

“When I saw the rankings yesterday I was really happy,” Parry told itftennis.com. “I have worked hard for this so it is a great pleasure, but the aim now is to keep the position until the end of the year. Firstly, though, I will do everything I can to be one of the two best players in the group.”

It is a case of friendly fire in Group Liang after doubles partners Kamilla Bartone of Latvia and Russia’s Oksana Selekhmeteva were drawn together, with the duo set for a showdown on Wednesday.

The eastern European flavour to the group is intensified by the presence of Wimbledon girls’ champion Daria Snigur of Ukraine, while France’s Elsa Jacquemot, the youngest player in the girls’ draw, is also in the mix. Snigur begins her title tilt against Jacquemot.

“The three of us are friends and that is why we were laughing and joking when the draw was made,” Selekhmeteva, who together with Bartone met the Duchess of Cambridge prior to their girls’ doubles semi-final at Wimbledon in July, told itftennis.com.

“I am really excited now. I have been here four or five days on the practice court so I’m looking forward to getting started.”

Despite four French players qualifying for the tournament, the draw kept them apart, with Group Yong consisting of Wimbledon boys’ champion Shintaro Mochizuki of Japan, Argentina’s Thiago Agustin Tirante, Canadian Liam Draxl and Valentin Royer of France.

Centre Court will play host to both opening matches in this group, with Tirante up against Royer and Mochizuki, who last month was a member of the Japan side that sealed Junior Davis Cup by BNP Paribas glory in Orlando, facing Draxl.

“Both groups are strong and we are all playing well,” Royer told itftennis.com. “I play Tirante in the first match and he is a really good player, especially in this moment. I haven’t played Tirante before, while I lost to Liam at Roehampton and I lost to Mochizuki at Wimbledon, but with some match points. All matches will be interesting.”

There was again a cultural element to the event as all the players attended the draw ceremony dressed in traditional Chinese clothing, while a cake was cut, baked in the shape of the Sichuan International Tennis Centre, to mark the fifth anniversary of the ITF Junior Finals.

After the conclusion of the draw ceremony, the players enjoyed an elegant boat trip before dinner, which was followed by a fire dragon show. As the night air was lit by pyrotechnics, the players could be forgiven for allowing their minds to wander to the fireworks likely to be seen on court in the coming days.

Matches – Wednesday 23 October 2019

Centre Court

At 11am: Zheng Qinwen (CHN) vs Natsumi Kawaguchi (JPN)

Followed by Thiago Agustin Tirante (ARG) vs Valentin Royer (FRA)

Not before 2pm: Diane Parry (FRA) vs Hurricane Tyra Black (USA)

Followed by Shintaro Mochizuki vs Liam Draxl (CAN)

Court No. 1

At 2pm: Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune vs Bu Yunchaokete (CHN)

Not before 4pm Daria Snigur (UKR) vs Elsa Jacquemot (FRA)

Court No. 2

At 12 noon: Jonas Forejtek (CZE) vs Harold Mayot (FRA)

Followed by Kamilla Bartone (LAT) vs Oksana Selekhmeteva (RUS)