Helene Pellicano has booked her place in the Mutua Madrid Open U-16 after she won the qualifying tournament which was played at the Sporting Club Tenis in Valencia last weekend.

The 15-year-old, who is currently the highest ranked Maltese player in the WTA list at 872, broke little sweat to reach the final of the tournament, losing just three games in the process.

In the first round, Pellicano crushed Alexandra Evdokimova 6-0 6-1 and then whitewashed Judith Perello 6-0, 6-0 to reach the semi-finals.

In the last four, Pellicano was up against Blanca Cortijo and she beat the Spanish player 6-1 6-1.

In the final the former U-14 European champion faced Lucia Llinares but the Maltese player again proved too strong as she coasted to 6-1 6-1 win to lift the title.

Pellicano will now advance to the proper tournament which will be played between May 4 and 13 in Madrid where concurrently the world's top players in both the men and women categories will be competing in the Masters 1000.

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