Croatian teenager Petra Marcinko continued her impressive form from last weekend with a smooth 6-4, 6-1 victory over 2018 runner-up Viktoria Hruncakova, even as the competition saw top seed Dalma Galfi exit due to injury while trailing qualifier Tereza Martincova on the second day of the 28th Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge on Tuesday.
Marcinko, who turns 20 on Thursday, ensured she remains a player to watch this week after defeating her experienced Slovakian opponent in straight sets in 75 minutes on court No. 1.
Also exiting the competition was Kristina Mladenovic, the former world number one in doubles, as the Frenchwoman lost in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 to Alevtina Ibragimova in just 73 minutes. Meanwhile, the sensational 16-year-old Mika Stojsavljevic of Great Britain advanced with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Valentina Ryser in a battle between two qualifiers.
Winner of the girls’ singles crown at the 2024 US Open, Stojsavljevic will now meet third seed Sinja Kraus of Austria, while Ibragimova will face sixth seed Linda Fruhvirtova on Wednesday.
The world number one on the ITF Junior Circuit in 2021, Croatia’s Marcinko won the inaugural Fujairah W75 tournament last Sunday with a 6-4, 6-4 result over Alevtina Ibragimova. Adapted to the weather in the UAE, the youngster showed no signs of slowing down despite a strong display from Hruncakova – a losing finalist here in 2018.
Having lost the first set 6-3, top seed Dalma Galfi was trailing 1-2 in the second when she was forced to quit due to an injury on her right foot.
“For sure, it was tough out there. She’s (Hruncakova) a good player and she started off well. I am glad I was able to just give off my best and get through to the next round,” Marcinko disclosed.
“This is the cut-off tournament before the 2026 Australian Open, and getting all the points I can win is crucial for my long-term planning. Fujairah has always been a lucky venue for me as I won a junior title there six years ago. I hope I can carry forward this streak here in Dubai,” she smiled.
Finishing 2021 as the world No. 1 ranked girl, Marcinko won the junior girls’ title at the 2022 Australian Open. On Tuesday, she showed why she is being talked about so much on the WTA Tour as she raised her game against a crafty opponent like Hruncakova.
The first set was close with both players securing a pair of breaks each. However, the erratic Hruncakova paid dearly for a string of double faults as Marcinko claimed the set in 44 minutes. In the second, the 19-year-old Croat broke twice for a 4-0 cushion and ultimately served out for the set and match in an hour and 15 minutes, setting up a second-round meeting with Great Britain’s Harriet Dart – an easy 6-1, 6-1 winner against Japanese qualifier, Mai Hontama.
“This week isn’t going to get any easier now on. But I am here to keep my winning momentum and see how far I can reach here,” Marcinko added.
Making a comeback following a second long injury lay-off, Martincova was not exactly pleased with the way she got her win against the top seed.
“Advancing to the next round is a good feeling, but I would have loved to do this the proper way. It is sad to see a fellow player get injured, but now I need to think of what I can do myself,” Martincova said.
Results: Alevtina Ibragimova bt Kristina Mladenovic 6-3, 6-2; Sofya Lansere bt Olivia Gadecki 7-5, 6-2; Sinja Kraus bt Sara Saito 6-3, 6-4; Xinyu Gao bt Caroline Werner 6-3, 3-6, 6-1; Harriet Dart bt Mai Hontama 6-1, 6-1; Arianne Hartono bt Mei Yamaguchi 6-2, 6-1; Linda Fruhvirtova bt Justina Mikulskyte 6-0, 7-5; Tereza Martincova bt Dalma Galfi 6-3, 2-1 (retd.); Petra Marcinko bt Viktoria Hruncakova 6-4, 6-1.
