Junior Davis Cup, Junior Billie Jean King Cup: Ones to watch – Part 2
It goes without saying that no two players are the same and development rates are vastly different. As such, lists of this nature are always highly subjective. However, speaking to captains and coaches at Club Mega Saray in Antalya, certain names tended to crop up consistently when discussing those to watch most closely going forward. There was a huge amount of talent on show at the Junior Davis Cup and Junior Billie Jean King Cup by BNP Paribas Finals and, in a sense, it is unfair to highlight just six players. Nevertheless, while this group is by no means exhaustive and merely an indication as to who caught the eye during a fantastic week of on-court action, here is part two of itftennis.com's Ones to Watch. Part one can be read here.
The conveyor belt of young French talent seems to be continuing apace, with Gabriel Debru towards the top of that list and someone well worth keeping tabs on as his career progresses.
Debru certainly arrived at the Junior Davis Cup Finals in Antalya in a rich vein of form having topped the podium at his previous two tournaments – J2 Rakovnik and then J1 Charleroi-Marcinelle.
Those victories took his season’s tally to three singles crowns following his success at J4 Budapest in May, although there has been a distinct level of progression with victory at Charleroi-Marcinelle his finest title yet.
In fact, he touched down in Turkey having won 22 of his previous 24 matches, which included a solid Junior Grand Slam debut where he made it to the third round at the Roland Garros Junior Championships.
Such form has contributed to the 15-year-old making huge strides this season and surging up the junior world rankings to No. 43, having ended the 2020 season placed No. 1095.
As soon as the on-court action started in Antalya, Debru looked a force to be reckoned with and, until the latter stages of the tournament, he dispatched all before him with consummate and seemingly considerable ease.
In his first three singles matches, for instance, he lost just seven matches, and across the whole event returned a 5-2 win-loss record, including that heavyweight tussle with Mexico’s Rodrigo Pacheco.
With France delivering three Junior Grand Slam winners – Harold Mayot, Elsa Jacquemot and Luca van Assche – since the beginning of 2020, perhaps next year’s majors might be the place for Debru to realise his potential.
From the minute teams arrived in Antalya, Yaroslav Demin stood out, initially due to his striking blonde locks and the quality of his headphones, but also how comfortable he was in front of the camera.
A cheeky nod during an interview at the opening ceremony at Aspendos Amphitheatre followed by a prediction that Russia would be crowned Junior Davis Cup champions suggested he had bundles of personality and indeed meant business.
When play started, it was clear that Demin had substance as well as style. Across the tournament, he returned a 6-2 win-loss record but, crucially, was triumphant in all six singles matches he contested.
More than that, however, it was the nature of the 16-year-old’s victories which impressed, particularly at the business end of the tournament when the pressure and a global title was on the line.
In both the semi-finals and the final, playing the opening singles match for his nation, Demin recovered from a set down to ensure his team soared into the ascendency and required just one further victory to prevail.
The second of these victories was the most impressive. Achieved in the final in front of the watching Shamil Tarpischev, the President of the Russian Tennis Federation, Demin outmanoeuvred the impressive Gabriel Debru of France.
It was a sensational victory against a player 96 places higher in the junior world rankings and put Russia on course for victory, which they duly secured to be crowned tournament winners for the first time since 2016.
Demin, who is ranked No. 140, is yet to win a junior singles title although he has claimed four doubles crowns in 2021. However, there is something about the nature of his wins and the timing of them which make Demin a standout character.
For all the world, it looked as though Russia would reach the Junior Billie Jean King Cup final and challenge top seeds Czech Republic for the title of the world’s best team in the 16-and-under age category.
Key to their quest for glory was Anastasiia Gureva, who was pitch perfect for most of the week and won all five of her singles battles in convincing fashion, returning an overall win-loss record of 8-1.
This included a hugely impressive win against Canada's Victoria Mboko, who also features on the list of Ones to Watch, in the quarter-finals, which in many senses exemplifies how much quality and potential Gureva possesses.
The only blot on her copybook was a defeat alongside Elena Pridankina in the decisive doubles showdown against Sayaka Ishii and Sara Saito as Russia succumbed to Japan in their semi-final clash.
However, her ability was there for all to see and, as such, the 16-year-old often featured in conversations about players with the capacity to impress as her career develops and progresses.
Gureva ended the 2020 season with a year-end ranking of No. 175 but started this campaign with her maiden victory at a J1 event at Svyatopetrivske village – the fourth junior title of her career.
That victory saw her surge into the top 50 of the junior world rankings and, while she now stands 10 places lower at No. 60, Gureva would appear to have all the tools to rise far higher in the next few years.