Ivan HENCL and Hana ARAPOVIĆ claimed the singles titles at the Croatian National Championships in Vrsar.
HENCL was the standout performer of the tournament, reaching three finals and securing two gold medals. The 19-year-old clinched the men’s singles title after defeating Borna PETEK in the final (4-2), having earlier overcome Leon BENKO in the semifinals. His path also included a hard-fought seven-game victory over Luka ZLATKOV in the quarterfinals.
“The feeling is phenomenal. After the U21 Championships, I didn’t expect this outcome, especially after losing a 10:7 lead in the deciding set of that final. I was really disappointed. I didn’t have high expectations for the senior event, but in the end it turned out great. I congratulate PETEK on a great match—it was a real battle. I tried to stay focused throughout the whole match, and this is certainly one of the best performances of my career.”
HENCL added the men’s doubles title alongside Josip JERKOVIĆ, defeating last year’s champions Ivor BAN and Luka LOZUŠIĆ in the final (3-0), while finishing runner-up in mixed doubles.
In the women’s singles, ARAPOVIĆ returned to the top after last year’s interruption of her winning streak, capturing her fourth national title. She defeated Ivana MALOBABIĆ in the final (4-0), despite facing difficult moments earlier in the tournament, including a dramatic comeback from 0-3 down in the quarterfinals.
“It really wasn’t easy in the quarterfinals. I managed to come back by relaxing my arm, changing tactics, and things started to improve. After that, I had another tough match in the semifinals. Against Ivana in the final, it may look easy because of the 4-0 result, but it definitely wasn’t. We know each other very well.”
ARAPOVIĆ also claimed gold in mixed doubles alongside BAN, with the pair continuing their dominance in the discipline and securing another national title.
In women’s doubles, Lana BENKO and Dora ĆOSIĆ captured the title, completing a strong showing for the younger generation.
Croatia
Men’s Singles
- Champion: Ivan HENCL
- Runner-up: Borna PETEK
- 3rd Place: Ivor BAN
- 3rd Place: Leon BENKO
Women’s Singles
- Champion: Hana ARAPOVIĆ
- Runner-up: Ivana MALOBABIĆ
- 3rd Place: Mara MARKOVANOVIĆ
- 3rd Place: Dora ĆOSIĆ
Men’s Doubles
- Champions: Ivan HENCL / Josip JERKOVIĆ
- Runners-up: Ivor BAN / Luka LOZUŠIĆ
- 3rd Place: Josip MUSTAPIĆ / Ronald REĐEP
- 3rd Place: Andrej MRKIĆ / Deni VALE
Women’s Doubles
- Champions: Lana BENKO / Dora ĆOSIĆ
- Runners-up: Ivana TUBIKANEC / Andrea PAVLOVIĆ
- 3rd Place: Bruna BOROVEC / Jelena VUKELIĆ
- 3rd Place: Ivana GRGIĆ / Mara MARKOVANOVIĆ
Mixed Doubles
- Champions: Ivor BAN / Hana ARAPOVIĆ
- Runners-up: Ivan HENCL / Dora ĆOSIĆ
- 3rd Place: Andrej MRKIĆ / Bruna BOROVEC
- 3rd Place: Leon BENKO / Lana BENKO
