Croatian Teen Wins First Tourney

Mirjana Lucic, Croatia’s 15-year-old sensation, made tennis history, winning in her first WTA tournament, in her homeland no less.

Lucic defeated American Corina Morariu 7-5, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-5) at the Croatian Bol Ladies Open.

Lucic is the youngest winner of a WTA tournament since American Jennifer Capriati won in Puerto Rico in 1990 at 14.

Jimmy Moore, on-site tour director of the WTA tour, said he thinks Lucic, the world’s No. 1 junior player, is the “only player in the history of professional tennis to win a WTA tournament at first attempt.”

Iva Majoli won the first clay-court title of her career and her second championship of the year, overwhelming Ruxandra Dragomir 6-3, 6-2 in the final of the Rexona Cup in Hamburg, Germany.

Marcelo Filippini used the wind and a big advantage on first serves to beat Jason Stoltenberg 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 for the AT&T Challenge championship in Duluth, Ga.

Fourth-seeded Cedric Pioline of France beat crowd favorite and third-seeded Bohdan Ulihrach of the Czech Republic 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (7-4) to win the Czech Open in Prague.

Australia’s Mark Philippoussis rode his big serve to his third career title and first on clay, beating Spain’s Alex Corretja 7-6 (7-3), 1-6, 6-4 at the BMW Open in Munich, Germany.