Today's Edition
DUBAI (ALETIHAD)
Young Croatian Petra Marcinko marked a belated birthday celebration with a rousing 6-3, 6-3 win over former world No.2 Vera Zvonareva to become the latest singles champion at the 28th Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge played at the Habtoor Grand Resort on Sunday.
The Croatian, who won last weekend’s inaugural Fujairah W75 Championships, turned 20 on December 4. Marcinko ensured that neither her age nor her lack of experience got in the way as she powered past the battle hardened 41-year-old Russian Zvonareva in straight sets.
In 2019, she won back-to-back tournaments in Fujairah and Dubai while on the ITF Junior Circuit. Six years later, she is the only one replicating this feat at the same arenas.
“Maybe this place brings out the best in me,” Marcinko said. “But I think I was pretty focused on doing well here in both the weeks so that I can travel back home to Croatia and have a short break before I start preparations for the 2026 season.”
Ending 2021 as world number one on the ITF Junior Circuit and winning the Australian Open junior girls crown a year later, Marcinko also holds the Croatian record for being the youngest women’s player to win six professional singles title before turning 18.
“All those honours and feats are behind me now. For the moment, it is all about how I produce my best tennis and stay focused on court to continue winning without any injuries interfering,” she said.
Sunday’s title also helped Marcinko cap a successful 2025 season. She began with her first WTA 125 title at the 2025 ATV Tennis Open in Rome, followed by two tournament wins in the USA with titles at the Landisville Challenge and Tyler Challenge in August and October, respectively. This was followed by the Fujairah W75 triumph at the end of November and Sunday’s crowning moment at the Habtoor Grand Resort.
Later in the evening, the pairing of Zvonareva and Rada Zolotareva was denied the doubles crown as well by the all-Asian pairing of Xinyu Gao and Mananchaya Sawangkaew who fought back from a set down to win 4-6, 7-5, 10-7.
Khalaf Al Habtoor, Chairman of the organising committee, crowned the new champions in the presence of Ahmed Abdul Malik, Vice President of the UAE Tennis Federation, Nasser Al Marzooki, General Secretary of the UAE Tennis Federation, and Noura Badawi, Tournament Director.
