Preda is first Romanian J500 champion in 16 years, Dencheva also stars
Romania’s Luca Preda and Rositsa Dencheva of Bulgaria claimed the biggest titles of their respective careers by conquering all before them at J500 Cairo.
Preda dispatched France’s Thomas Faurel 6-3 6-2 in the boys’ final and lifted silverware after dropping just a solitary set all week – in his semi-final showdown against Serbia’s Marko Maksimovic.
The 17-year-old topped the podium for the first time since lifting silverware at J300 Bamberg in June 2023, although he has been knocking on the door. He reached the final of J500 Plantation – the Orange Bowl – in December.
By winning in Cairo, Preda became the first Romanian player to win a J500 title in 16 years, since Ana Bogdan triumphed at J500 Osaka in 2008. The last Romanian boy to win a J500 title was Luncanu Petru-Alexandru at the 2006 Orange Bowl.
Victory also sees Preda jump eight places in the ITF World Tennis Tour boys' rankings to a career-high No. 8.
“This is huge for me,” said Preda. “I worked very hard to be able to win it. It is very good and very important to win a J500 title. It is a big win for me – I think I will enter the Top 10 with this win, so it is important for me. Amazing.”
Dencheva, meanwhile, who travelled to Australia as part of the Grand Slam Player Development Programme/ITF Touring Team in January, defeated the highly rated Laura Samson of Czechia, 7-5 5-7 6-2, in the girls’ final.
Victory handed the 16-year-old her first singles title since she topped the podium at J4 Eindhoven in July 2022, although she did win the doubles alongside Egypt’s Mariam Ibrahim at J300 Villena in March 2023.
“Winning here feels unreal,” said Dencheva, who has risen 20 places in the ITF World Tennis Tour girls' rankings following her Cairo heroics and now sits at a career-high No. 19.
“I did not expect to win with all the good players here. It is a victory which definitely means a lot. I was in a bad period because last year I didn’t win a title and this is my first for two years.
“I hope to take this victory into the rest of the season, and I hope to continue my good performances. I just want to enjoy my matches and be happy with my overall game.”
J500 tournaments provide premier playing opportunities for players on the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors and are effectively a rung below Junior Grand Slams in terms of standing and the ranking points on offer.
Egyptian capital Cairo was the host city for the first of seven J500 events on the calendar this year. The next will take place in Blumeanu, Brazil from 4 March.