ROVINJ/STARNBERG, March 23, 2025
Twenty-one-year-old Ukrainian Viacheslav Bielinskyi (ATP No. 540) claimed the ITF World Tennis Tour M15 title in Rovinj, the second leg in the 53rd edition of the Istarska Rivijera. In Sunday’s final, he defeated 19-year-old Serbian qualifier Marko Maksimovic (ATP No. 1147) in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6 (3).
This victory marks Bielinskyi’s second career title at an Istarska Rivijera tournament, having previously won in Opatija two years ago.
Bielinskyi’s experience proved crucial in the final, as he secured two breaks in the first set and another early break in the second, racing to a 6-3, 4-1 lead. However, Maksimovic mounted an impressive comeback, breaking back and winning three consecutive games to level the set at 4-4.
The young Serbian showed resilience, saving three match points while serving at 4-5 and then breaking Bielinskyi to take a 6-5 lead. But the Ukrainian responded immediately, breaking back to force a tiebreak. Bielinskyi dominated the tiebreak, surging to a 5-1 lead before sealing the match on his fourth match point. This marks his sixth career title on the ITF World Tennis Tour and first of the year.
With this triumph, Bielinskyi earns 15 ATP Ranking points and a $2,160 prize. Remarkably, five of his six Pro Circuit titles have come in Croatia, including victories in Opatija (2023), Split (2022), Osijek (2023), and Bol (2023).
For Maksimovic, reaching the final was the best result of his professional career. He walks away with 8 ATP Ranking points and $1,272 in prize money.
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Final stop: Opatija
The 2025 Istarska Rivijera will conclude with the final tournament in Opatija, as it has in the past nine editions. 20-year-old Luka Mikrut from Split will be the top seed, while wild cards have been granted to 17-year-old Emanuel Ivanisevic and 16-year-old Leonardo Ljubicic, the sons of Croatian tennis legends Goran Ivanisevic and Ivan Ljubicic.
