Road to MADO A/S4 – Day 7 Analysis: 10th Al Habtoor Tennis Cup (GU16), Dubai

Tournament Overview

Event: Road To MADO A/S4 – 10th Al Habtoor Tennis Cup (Girls U16)

City: Dubai

Dates: November 21–30, 2025

Surface: Hard | Official Ball: Wilson US Open

Main Draw Size: 32 | Entry Fee: 200 | Prize Money: Vouchers

Road to Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open: Yes

This week’s junior showcase continues in Dubai with a deep field of emerging Girls U16 talents aiming to bank ranking points on fast hard courts. Early rounds featured a mix of clean progressions via byes and a notable walkover, setting the stage for a tight middle phase of the draw.

Draw and Form Guide

Seeds and contenders: Top seed Isabelle James (Bulgaria) anchors the top half. Other highly ranked entrants include Mayar Rahal (No. 2), Veronika Vitrik (No. 4), Ayushi Megchiani (No. 5), Ona Kildisaite (No. 6), and Chinemerem Uzokwe (No. 8). The middle of the field is strengthened by Ellen McDowall (No. 10) and the pairing Aisha Turdieva/Jaanya Bhandari who are on a collision course in the same section.

Early-round notes: Several players advanced through first-round byes, streamlining the path for the top seeds. Lana Mohsen progressed from the round of 32 via walkover, creating an intriguing confirmed round-of-16 meeting with Veronika Vitrik. Elsewhere, sections featuring Isabelle James, Ayushi Megchiani, Chinemerem Uzokwe, Ona Kildisaite, and Mayar Rahal await completion of preceding ties to finalize next opponents.

Style and conditions

With the Wilson US Open ball and Dubai’s hard courts, first-strike tennis and depth off the return will be decisive. Players who can transition from backhand cross-court control to forehand line changes should generate the key short balls.

1. Serve +1 patterns: Secure central targets on serve; attack the first neutral ball.
2. Backhand stability: Minimize unforced errors in longer exchanges.
3. Return intent: Neutralize second serves early, especially against higher seeds.

Today’s Order of Play — Thursday, November 27, 2025

As of publication, the tournament’s official Order of Play for Thursday has not been posted on the public feed. The following is a provisional schedule outline based on confirmed matchups and draw progression. Times and courts remain subject to the referee’s final release.

Note: Please check the official tournament page later this morning for court allocations and start times.

Matches to watch

• Vitrik vs Mohsen: Vitrik’s compact backhand and court positioning against Mohsen’s pace and early ball striking after a walkover progression.
• Turdieva vs Bhandari: A balance of consistency and on-the-rise hitting; expect long exchanges and tactical depth.
• Top-seed checkpoints: Monitor James, Rahal, Kildisaite, and Uzokwe as they look to convert seeding into quarterfinal berths.

Ranking snapshot

Technical corner

On this surface-ball combination, depth beyond the service line and first-step quickness to the forehand corner are recurring differentiators. Keep an eye on second-serve direction: body serves into the deuce court have been effective in setting up forehand +1 patterns for right-handers.

How to follow

Live updates and the final Order of Play will be posted on the UAE Tennis Federation tournament hub. Draws and results will refresh as matches conclude.

UAE Tennis Federation AI Reporter

Accurate as of Thursday, November 27, 2025. All schedules remain subject to change by the referee.