The ITF Junior Tournament currently being held at the Juan Carlos Ferrero Academy reaches its final stage with the quarterfinals and doubles semifinals set to take place this Thursday. The tournament’s top favorites continue to advance, though they have done so in tough matches. In the men’s draw, Bulgaria’s Kisimov (2) defeated France’s Abbas 7-6(5), 6-3, while France’s Domenc (1) struggled to beat Madrid’s Max Villar 7-6(5), 1-6, 6-1.

Better news for the Spanish players in the other brackets of the men’s draw: Although young Dario Ruiz was unable to pull off another upset and lost to Germany’s Thies (11), Alberto Pulido did manage to reach the quarterfinals after defeating the Czech Psota 6-3, 7-5 and will face Dario’s conqueror for a spot in the semifinals. The other big news was Maxi Carrascosa’s victory over fourth-seeded Savva Rybkin in a tight match featuring long, hard-fought rallies that ended 3-6, 6-2, 6-4. The Toledo native, who trains at the Ferrero Academy, is on the opposite side of the draw from Pulido, raising hopes for an all-Spanish final.

The women’s draw has also seen upsets and surprises, with the top two seeds advancing as well. Germany’s Thamm (1) reaches the quarterfinals without having dropped a single set so far in the tournament. Meanwhile, the Czech Republic’s Hermanova (2) faced off against Gabriela Paun. The Spaniard put up a fight but couldn’t take the final set, ultimately losing 6-1, 2-6, 6-3. The other Spaniard in the running, Paola Piñera, also lived up to her status as a favorite and continues to advance confidently in the draw. In the round of 16, she defeated Turkey’s Dogan 6-1, 6-3.

As for the doubles draws, the tournament’s finalists will be decided on Thursday. Spaniards Eudald Gonzalez and, once again, Alberto Pulido will face Baybars (Turkey) and Jennings (Ireland) for a spot in the final.

The tournament enters its decisive phase with high-level matches and a large crowd, which is expected to continue growing (remember that admission to the tournament is free) until the finals on Saturday, March 21. A unique opportunity to witness the tennis of the future and see the health of Spanish tennis.