SECURING her first prominent ITF Junior title, Bulgarian Rositsa Dencheva downed tournament favourite Laura Samsonova in the J500 title in Cairo. Samsonova came into the tournament as the top seed and had only dropped one set en route to the final, but had her work cut out for her against the world number 39.

The Bulgarian looked strong early taking the first set 7-5, and maintained her composure even when the highly fancied Samsonova returned the same result in set two. running away with the decider, Dencheva cruised to a 6-2 victory in the third to take out the huge J500 title.

In winning the title, Dencheva is expected to surpass her previous career-high of 30, and though only 16 years-old, showed experienced beyond her years going forward. After a slower start to the year – first round losses in Traralgon and the Australian Open – Dencheva has got back to her best with the J500 triumph.

Meanwhile in the boys’ singles final in Cairo, Romanian world number 16, Luca Preda saluted in the title thanks to victory over Frenchman Thomas Faurel. The 17-year-old Romanian only dropped one set throughout the tournament to lift the trophy aloft. It was Preda’s second J500 title in the past three months, also winning on American clay at Plantation back in December.

Preda defeated Australian Open champion Rei Sakamoto in straight sets on his way to that title, and had another impressive run in Egypt. In the final, he defeated Faurel 6-3 6-2 in comprehensive style, as he eyes off entering the top 10 in the world for the first time.

CAIRO J500 FINAL RESULTS:

[8] Rositsa Dencheva (BUL) defeated [1] Laura Samsonova (CZE) 7-5 5-7 6-2
[4] Luca Preda (ROU) defeated [8] Thomas Faurel (FRA) 6-3 6-2

In Asuncion a J300 tournament took place, with two unseeded players facing off in the boys’ final. Despite the top seed, Kazakhstan’s Amir Omarkhanov looking good to reach the final, he was upstaged by French hope Nathan Trouve in the semi-finals.

Making back-to-back finals after his loss to Naoya Honda at the J100 in Manacor, Trouve used that form to upset the highly fancied Omarkhanov. Unfortunately, Trouve would be forced to accept the runner-up trophy yet again, this time losing to Swede, William Rejchtman Vinciguerra.

Rejchtman Vinciguerra won 6-1 6-3 in a convincing decider, which backed up his form from the semi-final where he crushed Turkish fourth seed Atakan Karahan, 6-2 6-2. The Swede went one better than in Lima last week, reaching the final but going down in the decider of that J100.

Antonia Vergara Rivera won the girls’ J300 title in Asuncion, defeating top seed Emily Sartz-Lunde. The Chilean fourth seed battled hard but got through the contest, winning 7-5 4-6 6-3 over her Norwegian opponent. Vergara Rivera beat second seed Brazilian Olivia Carneiro in the semi-final 6-3 6-4 to really earn the title.

ASUNCION J300 FINAL RESULTS:

William Rejchtman Vinciguerra (SWE) defeated Nathan Trouve (FRA) 6-1 6-3
[4] Antonia Vergara Rivera (CHI) defeated [1] Emily Sartz-Lunde (NOR) 7-5 4-6 6-3