Croatian teenager Petra Marcinko continued her impressive form from last weekend with a decisive 6-4, 6-1 victory over 2018 runner-up Viktoria Hruncakova. Meanwhile, the tournament saw top seed Dalma Galfi exit due to an injury while trailing qualifier Tereza Martincova on the second day of the 28th Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge, Tuesday.
Turning 20 on Thursday, Marcinko established herself as the player to watch this week by defeating her seasoned Slovakian opponent in straight sets, wrapping up the match in 75 minutes on court No. 1.
Also exiting the competition was Kristina Mladenovic, the former world number one in doubles, as the French player lost in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 to Alevtina Ibragimova in 73 minutes. Meanwhile, the sensational 16-year-old Mika Stojsavljevic from Great Britain advanced with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Valentina Ryser in a match between two qualifiers.
Winner of the girls’ singles at the 2024 US Open, Stojsavljevic will now face third seed Sinja Kraus of Austria, while Ibragimova will meet sixth seed Linda Fruhvirtova on Wednesday.
Ranked world number one on the ITF Junior Circuit in 2021, Croatia’s Marcinko claimed the inaugural Fujairah W75 tournament last Sunday with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Alevtina Ibragimova. Adapted to the UAE’s weather, she showed no signs of slowing down despite a strong showing from Hruncakova, the 2018 losing finalist.
Top seed Dalma Galfi was trailing 1-2 in the second set after losing the first set 6-3 when she was forced to withdraw due to a right foot injury.
“It was definitely tough out there. Hruncakova is a strong player and started well. I’m glad I was able to perform at my best and advance to the next round,” Marcinko shared.
“This is the last tournament before the 2026 Australian Open, and gaining as many points as possible is crucial for my long-term goals. Fujairah has always been a lucky place for me since I won a junior title there six years ago. I hope to continue this streak here in Dubai,” she smiled.
Ending 2021 as the world No. 1 ranked girl, Marcinko won the junior girls’ title at the 2022 Australian Open. On Tuesday, she demonstrated why she’s gaining attention on the WTA Tour, raising her game against Hruncakova’s crafty play.
The first set was competitive, with both players exchanging two breaks each. Hruncakova’s double faults proved costly, allowing Marcinko to clinch the set in 44 minutes. In the second set, the 19-year-old Croat broke twice to secure a 4-0 lead, eventually serving out the match in 75 minutes, setting up a second-round clash with Great Britain’s Harriet Dart, who defeated Japanese qualifier Mai Hontama 6-1, 6-1.
“This week only gets tougher from here on, but I’m determined to maintain my winning momentum and see how far I can go,” Marcinko added.
Coming back from a second lengthy injury break, Martincova expressed mixed feelings about her win over the top seed.
“Advancing feels great, but I wish it happened under different circumstances. It’s unfortunate when a fellow player gets injured, but I need to focus on my own game now,” 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.
