New champion Marcinko promises to be back to defend crown

Dubai: Croatia’s Petra Marcinko said she would be delighted to return and defend her title after triumphing at the 28th Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge at the Habtoor Grand Resort on Sunday.

Fresh off last weekend’s inaugural Fujairah W75 Championship win, the newly turned 20-year-old defeated former world No 2 Vera Zvonareva 6-3, 6-3 in the final. “Six years ago, in 2019, I won back-to-back tournaments in Fujairah and Dubai on the ITF Junior Circuit. To achieve the same milestone now on the women’s circuit feels incredibly special,” she said.

Marcinko began last week ranked No 103, but the 150 ranking points she earned on Sunday will lift her to No 82, securing direct entry into the Australian Open main draw.

“I love it here — this place always brings out the best in me. My next goal is to perform well at the Grand Slams. These 150 points are crucial and should help me enter the Australian Open directly. Dubai is my favourite stop on tour, and it has certainly played a role in my progress. I’ll definitely be back next year,” she added.

Her name now joins an illustrious list of former champions, including Sorana Cirstea (2020), Ana Bogdan (2019), Peng Shuai (2018), Belinda Bencic (2017), Kimiko Date-Krumm (2012), Sania Mirza (2010), Maria Kirilenko (2007), Kateryna Bondarenko (2006), Marion Bartoli (2005), Jelena Jankovic (2003) and inaugural winner Kyra Nagy (1998).

'Great week'

Despite the loss, a composed 41-year-old Zvonareva said she was pleased with her performance. “It’s been a great week for me. I received a wild card, and I proved to myself that I still have the game and the fight to compete with some of the best players. Honestly, I had no expectations. Everything unfolded exactly the way I hoped,” the runner-up admitted.

“I know I can still compete at the highest level, but I haven’t decided whether I want to return to the tour full-time. Right now, I just need to rest and recover,” she added.

Khalaf Al Habtoor, founding chairman of the Al Habtoor Group, praised the event, calling it “an annual celebration of tennis.” He said, “I enjoy this tournament personally, and our goal is always to share happiness through sport, in line with the vision of our UAE leaders. The event keeps getting better every year, and we continually explore new ideas to enhance the competition.”