VILLENA/STARNBERG, March 20, 2026
The ITF J300 Villena – Memorial Eduardo Ferrero, one of the most prestigious U18 tournaments in Spain, has reached its final stage after a week of high-level competition at the Ferrero Tennis Academy, where Juan Carlos Ferrero was present throughout the event. This Saturday, the tournament will crown its singles champions in both the boys’ and girls’ draws.
The standout story for the home crowd comes from 15-year-old Paola Piñera. The young Spaniard has impressed with a dominant run to the final, not dropping a single set along the way. She will face top-seeded German Mariella Thamm, currently ranked among the top 600 players on the WTA Tour. Thamm had a more challenging path to the final but brings greater experience, competing in her fourth final of the season. The matchup promises to be closely contested and highly competitive.
In the boys’ draw, Spanish hopes ended in the semifinals as Alberto Pulido was defeated by Italy’s Raffaele Ciurnelli in straight sets 6–3, 7–6. Ciurnelli appeared fresher physically and controlled the tempo against a visibly fatigued Pulido, who had come through a demanding match the previous day. The Italian will now face Bulgaria’s second seed Dimitar Kisimov in the final. Both finalists have been in excellent form, reaching the title match without losing a set and aiming for a victory that could propel them into the Top 10 of the junior rankings.
Friday also saw the conclusion of the doubles events. Eudald Gonzalez and Alberto Pulido claimed the boys’ doubles title, while Tereza Hermanova and Maja Pawelska triumphed in the girls’ competition.
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The finals are scheduled for Saturday, with the boys’ match starting at 9:45 a.m. local time, followed by the girls’ final. Alongside the fans, members of the Ferrero family are expected to attend. The tournament, now named in memory of Eduardo Ferrero – father of Juan Carlos Ferrero and a key figure in promoting tennis in the Valencia region – continues to honor his legacy.
