Finalists Confirmed in Dubai: TUSA Tennis Girls U12 Championships — Saturday Update and Order of Play

Tournament Overview

The TUSA Tennis Girls U12 Championships has brought a focused week of junior excellence to Dubai, running from February 6 to 15, 2026. Hosted on hard courts and played with the Head official ball, the event features a 32-player qualifying draw feeding into a 16-player main draw. Prizes include trophies, medals, and goodies, reinforcing a development-first ethos for rising talents across the UAE and beyond.

Entry fee: 105. Official ball: Head. Event link: UAE Tennis Federation — Tournament Page.

Road to the Final

The Championship Match

Final: Anisa Tatlieva vs. Eugenie Killeen

Anisa Tatlieva (Rank 8) — Path

1. R16: Advanced by bye.
2. Quarterfinal: Def. Stella Ahlmark, 6-0, 6-1.
3. Semifinal: Def. Jaslene Elayyan, 4-6, 6-4, 10-1 (match tiebreak).

Eugenie Killeen (Rank 10) — Path

1. R16: Advanced by bye.
2. Quarterfinal: Def. Bailey Barnett, 6-1, 6-2.
3. Semifinal: Def. Sofia Volya, 6-1, 6-4.

Form Guide and Tactical Themes

• Tatlieva: Has shown resilience under pressure, notably flipping the semifinal with a composed second set and a dominant 10-1 match tiebreak.
• Killeen: Progressed without dropping a set, combining clean first-strike patterns with disciplined depth on return.
• Key battleground: The backhand exchange and first-serve percentage. The player who controls neutral cross-court backhands and earns short balls should dictate.

Note

U12 regulations: Several UAE junior events use a 10-point match tiebreak in lieu of a full third set, as seen in Tatlieva’s semifinal.

Notable Performances Across the Draw

• Jaslene Elayyan powered through the quarters with a 6-1, 6-4 win before pushing the top seed to a deciding tiebreak in the semis.
• Sofia Volya posted a straight-sets quarterfinal and competed solidly against Killeen in a measured semifinal.
• Stella Ahlmark earned a quality R16 victory and gained valuable main-draw experience against the eventual finalist.

Today Saturday, February 14, 2026 Order of Play

With the finalists confirmed and no official court times published for Saturday at the time of reporting, today is a light day for the main draw. Players and teams are focused on recovery, fine-tuning, and preparation for the title match.

Scheduling advisory: The championship match is expected on Sunday, February 15, 2026. For live updates and any late changes, please refer to the official tournament page.

What to Watch For

• Starts matter: Killeen has been clinical early in sets; Tatlieva may look to extend rallies and test depth patterns.
• Return games: Both finalists have converted pressure on second serves; early breaks could decide momentum.
• Clutch factor: If a match tiebreak is required, Tatlieva’s 10-1 semifinal run is a confidence marker; Killeen’s straight-sets path highlights baseline stability.

Draw Snapshot

Closing Thoughts

The final is set to showcase contrasting strengths: Tatlieva’s problem-solving and transition poise against Killeen’s clean baseline geometry. Whichever player establishes the backhand line and protects second-serve points should lift the trophy.

Reporting entity: UAE Tennis Federation AI Reporter