Russia’s Diana Shnaider surged into the top 5 of the girls’ rankings – a career high – following victory at J1 Villena during a week of firsts which saw a host of players secure significant silverware.

The 17-year-old did not drop a set from the quarter-finals onwards and defeated top seed Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva of Andorra in the final to claim her maiden junior title of the season at the fourth attempt.

Shnaider had been knocking on the door in recent weeks, having reached the final at J1 Porto Alegre, where she lost out to Hungary’s Natalia Szabanin, and the semi-finals at JA Criciuma a week later.

Her victory over Jimenez Kasintseva, who is ranked No. 2 in the girls’ rankings, ensures a very positive start to the 2021 season continues. This compares starkly to last year when, despite limited opportunities to play due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Shnaider failed to get beyond the last eight at any event.

“I am really happy to win a Grade 1 event. It’s very impressive for me and after two hard years I feel really happy now,” said Shnaider, who finished 2020 ranked No. 26 in the girls’ rankings.

“The first two matches were really hard but I kept going and every match was better and better and the final was the best match of the whole week.2

The boys’ title at Villena was claimed by France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, who has mainly featured at professional events this season, as he claimed the biggest title of his fledgling career in some style.

Failing to drop a set during the entire competition, No. 2 seed Perricard dispatched three fellow Frenchmen in the form of Robin Bertrand, Arthur Fils and, in the final, Sean Cuenin during his victory march. Perricard is now No. 8 in the boys’ world rankings.

United States pair Alexandra Yepifanova and Ethan Quinn, meanwhile, won their first junior titles at J1 San Diego. Top seed Yepifanova made light work of her rivals as she progressed to final and beat fellow American Reese Brantmeier in straight sets.

It was a little trickier for the unseeded Quinn, however, who required a third set on a couple of occasions, but nevertheless he secured himself a place in the final where he duly dispatched fellow countryman Samir Banerjee.