Croatia wins the Princess Lalla Meryem Award.

Croatian Petra Marčinko won the singles title today, Saturday, at the 24th edition of the Princess Lalla Meryem Grand Prix tennis tournament, held at the Tennis Club of the Railways in Rabat.

Marčinko, the sixth seed in the tournament, secured her victory in the final match against Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina, who withdrew after the Croatian player was leading 6-2, 3-0.

Marčinko confirmed her strong presence in this tournament after reaching the final by defeating Swiss player Jill Teichmann in the semifinals in straight sets, with scores of 7-6, 6-3.

On her part, Kalinina secured her spot in the final after overcoming Hungarian player Panna Udvardy in straight sets, with scores of 6-0, 6-3.

Marčinko expressed her great happiness at winning the Princess Lalla Meryem Grand Prix tennis title, praising the atmosphere surrounding the tournament and the warm welcome in the city of Rabat.

In a statement to the press after her victory, she said that the result does not necessarily reflect the difficulty of the match, explaining that the win was not easy, even though the scores might suggest otherwise.

She noted that her Ukrainian opponent Anhelina Kalinina is a strong player and presented a tough match before the encounter ended with her withdrawal.

For his part, the director of the Princess Lalla Meryem Grand Prix tennis tournament, Khalid Oultab, confirmed that the outcome of the 24th edition was very positive, highlighting that the organizing committee succeeded in respecting the various conditions and standards imposed by the Women's Tennis Association.

Oultab explained that this edition was distinguished by the adoption of the "Hawk-Eye" technology, which adds a qualitative enhancement to the level of organization and officiating, considering that the successful implementation of this technology reflects the significant effort made by the various teams from the club and the Royal Moroccan Tennis Federation.

He also expressed his satisfaction with the level displayed by Moroccan player Yasmine Kabbaj during this tournament, affirming that her journey has given a strong boost to Moroccan women's tennis and renewed hope in seeing a Moroccan player among the top 100 players in the world, with the ambition of a Moroccan victory in the future at this tournament.

He added that Moroccan tennis is experiencing a positive dynamic, both in men's and women's categories.