Junior number 1 Clara Burel earns Australian Open wild card
The French Tennis Federation has made the best possible decision in giving the Australian Open wild card to the 17-year-old Clara Burel, junior world number 1 and the most promising French youngster who will make her WTA debut in Melbourne. The Rennes native achieved the first big results in 2017 after playing in the semi-final of the Yucatan Cup and in the final of Eddie Herr, raising her game to a higher level this season to finish runner-up in Melbourne, New York and at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, earning enough points to become the year-end number 1 after lifting the trophy at the ITF Junior Masters.
Dianne Parry defeated Burel in the final of Mundial Juvenil Yucatan, with another big crown running away from Clara's hand in 2018 who still did more than enough to stay ahead of Xiyu Wang and Cori Gauff and become the first French year-end junior number 1 since Kristina Mladenovic in 2009. Clara is currently ranked 619th on the WTA ranking list, advancing into the semi-final on the ITF Tour twice before having a chance to compete for her first pro title in Clermont-Ferrand in September, losing in three sets to Lesley Kerkhove and having to wait for 2019 in order to lift her first trophy.
Clara made her debut at the Australian Open this January to hit an instant success, playing in the junior final and hoping for a good run in the pro draw in eight weeks time after receiving an invitation from her Federation. Thus, Burel will join her coevals Amanda Anisimova and Anastasia Potapova as the third player born in 2001 confirmed to participate in the main draw in Melbourne from January 14, hoping for a good draw and the opportunity to earn her first Grand Slam win.
from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2L4XHZR
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