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Back after a five-year hiatus, top seed Dalma Galfi has promised to hit the ground running in her opening round encounter against one of the qualifiers at the 28th Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge that got under way at the Habtoor Grand Resort from Sunday.

The 27-year-old from Hungary, who had a career-high singles ranking of 79 in September 2022, last played in this W100 ITF World Tennis Tour event in 2020. Her best performance in Dubai, however came when she reached the semifinals also as a wild card entrant in the 2019 edition.

Galfi showed a lot of promise in the earlier stages of her career, and in 2015, she was pronounced the ITF Junior World Champion after winning the junior girls’ title at the US Open followed by the girls’ doubles crown with Fanny Stollar at Wimbledon.

“I love being in Dubai, and for sure I would love to do well during the week. I am excited, not just because I am returning to Dubai after five years, but also because I have some great memories here,” Galfi said after the singles draw was held on Sunday.

“It’s certainly nice to be back in a place I love being in, and for sure, I want to work hard to ensure I last the whole week here,” she added.

Khalaf Al Habtoor, Founder and Chairman of the Al Habtoor Group, was the main guest along with Nasser Al Marzooqi, General Secretary of UAE Tennis Federation, Tournament Director Noura Badawi, ITF Supervisor, Sheetal Iyer along with a few players, including Galfi, Viktoria Hruncakova of Slovakia and promising teenager Vendula Valdamannova of the Czech Republic.

In case she gets past the qualifier in the first round, Galfi could end up against 41-year-old Vera Zvonareva, one of the four wild cards here this year. “No match is going to be easy, and I am confident I can do some good hard work out there,” she smiled.

Holding up the lower end of the draw is second seed Anastasia Zakharova and her opening round opponent will be Elena Pridankina, while her opponent in the second round could be Dubai resident and former world number one in doubles, Kristina Mladenovic of France.

Further into the tournament, the second seed may have to take on Croat’s Petra Marcinko, champion at last week’s Fujairah

“Each year, our tournament keeps getting better. Tennis is such a sport that actually combines enjoyment with entertainment,” Khalaf Al Habtoor said.

“Our tournament is the first tennis event for women in this part of the world. We are proud of what we have achieved since 1998. Over nearly three decades, we have witnessed Dubai as the central point in the world of sports,” he added.

Khalaf Al Habtoor, flanked by top seed Dalma Galfi (on his right) and Nasser Al Marzooki and officials and players at the singles main draw ceremony.

A regular here and making a ninth appearance, Slovakia’s Viktoria Hruncakova admitted she is willing to go the extra mile. “I expect myself to fight all the time. It is a tough draw, and I will be prepared for some tight matches here during the week,” Hruncakova observed.

“It’s nearly the end of the season, and I am more than happy to use this competition as part of my preparations for the new year starting with the Australian Open.

Perhaps, among the most exciting players this year could be Czech Republic’s Vendula Valdamannova who will turn 18 on December 10. “For sure, I am going to be the underdog here this week. But I do not feel any sort of pressure even though there are some great players here. I am here to win this tournament,” Valdamannova pledged.

The singles main draw matches will commence from Monday (December 1) alongside the final rounds of qualifying at the Habtoor Grand Resort courts in Mina Seyahi.

Top seed Mai Hontama led a trio of Japanese into the next round of qualifying on the opening day of the 28th Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge at the Habtoor Grand Resort on Sunday.

Mei Yamaguchi and Sara Saito were in a tearing hurry accounting for their opponents in quick time earlier in the day, while the top-seeded Hontama eased her way past Spain’s Georgina Garcia-Perez 6-3, 6-2 later in the evening.

Yamaguchi, with a career-high singles ranking of 242 on the WTA earlier this year, was at her near-best form winning 6-2, 6-0 against Alena Fomina-Klotz of Germany, in just 53 minutes. The depth of her strokes sort of got her German opponent off-guard as Yamaguchi advanced to a meeting against Varvara Panshina, who had to dig in deep before winning 1-6, 7-5, 6-1 against seventh seed Kira Pavlova.

At 19, Saito also showed a lot of maturity while easing past Great Britain’s Emily Webley-Smith 6-1, 6-0 in just 49 minutes of action on Court No. 3. Saito, who was unsuccessful at last week’s Australian Open wild card playoff in Melbourne, showed much better adaptation to the fast court surface conditions, to win in quick time.

The Japanese teenager will now meet Ekaterina Ovcharenko after the Russian took a little over two hours to win 2-6, 7-6 (3), 6-2 against countrywoman Ekaterina Maklakova.

“I want to take things one step at a time,” Yamaguchi said.

“Tomorrow is another day and I hope I can continue with my rhythm and qualify for the main draw of this competition,” she added.

Round One of qualifying: Mai Hontama bt Georgina Garcia-Perez 6-3, 6-2; Ekaterina Ovcharenko bt Ekaterina Maklakova 2-6, 7-6 (3), 6-2; Mei Yamaguchi bt Alena Fomina-Klotz 6-2, 6-0; Sara Saito bt Emily Webley-Smith 6-1, 6-0 – 49 mins; Varvara Panshina bt Kira Pavlova 1-6, 7-5, 6-1; Tereza Martincova 6-4, 6-1 bt Kajsa Rinaldo Persson; Dalila Jakupovic bt Zeel Desai 6-2, 6-3; Emily Appleton bt Rada Zolotareva 6-2, 6-0; Valentina Ryser v Eszter Dorka Finak 6-3, 6-2; Katarina Zavatska bt Ksenia Zaytseva 6-3, 6-4; Caroline Werner bt Lina Glushko 6-2, 6-1; Erika Andreeva bt Iva Primorac Pavicic 6-2, 6-4; Shrivalli Rashmikaa Bhamidipaty bt Ekaterina Yashina 6-1, 0-6, 7-5.