High-flyers Faurel and Yaneva claim career-best titles at J500 Merida
France’s Thomas Faurel and Elizara Yaneva of Bulgaria triumphed at J500 Merida to claim the biggest titles of their respective careers and give themselves a late-season rankings boost.
It was a first ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors title in more than a year for Faurel, who reached the final at J500 Cairo in February and back-to-back semi-finals at J300 College Park and J300 Repentigny in September.
The 18-year-old did not drop a set all week in Mexico as he surged to the sixth ITF World Tennis Tour title of his career, which was sealed following a 6-3 6-1 defeat of Colombia’s Miguel Tobon in the final.
Victory propelled Faurel, who won his maiden main draw match on the ITF World Tennis Tour Men’s in March, to No. 12 in the ITF World Tennis Tour boys’ rankings – a career high.
For Yaneva, success in Merida handed the 17-year-old her first ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors title since March when she conquered all before her at J300 Vrsar. She also reached the final at J300 Plovdiv and three further quarter-finals this season.
Yaneva, who this season has travelled as part of the Grand Slam Player Development Programme/ITF Touring Team, required three sets to win on two occasions but powered her way to the final where she beat Serbia’s Luna Vujovic 6-4 6-3.
It is the latest high point in a productive season for Yanexa, who reached the quarter-finals at W15 Villena in October as the teenager began to make her mark within professional tennis on the ITF World Tennis Tour.
Her victory at J500 Merida has seen Yaneva rise 19 places in the ITF World Tennis Tour girls’ rankings. She now sits at a career-best No. 15, four places higher than her previous career-high ranking of No. 19 achieved in April.
J500 Merida was the latest J500 event on the 2024 ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors calendar. J500s provide premier playing opportunities for players and offer significant ranking points to those who reach the latter stages and are crowned champions.
J500s are one rung below Junior Grand Slams in terms of the ranking points available to players and J500 Merida is the penultimate J500 event on the 2024 calendar. The final J500 is the Orange Bowl – J500 Plantation – which takes place from 9-15 December.