ITF 3xW35 Series - California, USA, Sep/Nov, 2024

[jayakris]

In doubles, Wednesday evening, at the ITF W35 in Berkeley, California, USA (Hard):

[R1] (4) Alicia Herrero Linana (ESP)/ Sahaja Yamalapalli (IND) d. Ena Koike (JPN)/ Wakana Sonobe (JPN), 76(6) 63

Thursday QFs:

[QF] (4) Alicia Herrero Linana (ESP)/ Sahaja Yamalapalli (IND) vs Iva Jovic (USA)/ Clervie Ngounoue (USA)
[QF] Rutuja Bhosale (IND)/ Ema Burgic (USA) vs Angella Okutoyi (KEN)/ Merna Refaat (EGY)

[Dinesh]

Precisely, how sick was Sahaja during her singles match? I ask because this doubles win is surprising considering they were playing a solid junior team (Sonobe is the USO Junior finalist, Koike has reached the SF of junior slams on 3 occasions).

[jayakris]

^^ She was sick. It was a cold and sore throat, so not that serious an illness. Just energy-sapping. In singles, being slightly off in energy level is enough to kill you. Not so much in doubles. Especially so in singles if you are not playing somebody much worse than you - and Alana Smith was not that bad. She has a hard serve, and Sahaja needed to have spring in her legs to return some of those. Was not there... That is what I saw in the match.

Like I said, she was hitting the ball alright in singles. Her problem was movements, where she clearly looked like she did not have much energy. That is not an issue in doubles. She actually hits some decent volleys and all that these days, so she must have stood there and done the job. Service power is also not as much of an issue in women's doubles (though if you have a top serve it can really help; but most of them don't have that). In singles, the lack of zip in her serve, which I had noted when I was watching and reporting on her match, gave her trouble. Alana Smith just took some serves and hit return winners and Sahaja could not run to the return shot, and if she did, her defensive shots often ended up as too short, clearly from lack of strength. None of such issues come up in doubles, so I am not too surprised if her cold and sore throat did not cause much difference in her doubles match.

[Dinesh]

Sahaja/partner get a lucky walkover from Jovic and Clervie probably because they needed 3 sets to win their singles matches and are in fact facing each other in the QF.

Rutuja/partner are currently up 5-2 in the second set in their QF match. The scoreboard is not updating anything since the first game of 1st set, so I am unsure who won that and the chair umpire is not audible enough. Update: Rutuja/Ema just won the second set 6-2 and shook their opponents’ hands. To the semis, they go Ema must be thankful for Rutu to be getting into this level while being the lowest ranked amongst all the competitors. They will face an unseeded team in the semis.

[jayakris]

^^^ Rutu/Burgic won. Also into the semis. That scoreboard never got unstuck!

[QF] (4) Alicia Herrero Linana (ESP)/ Sahaja Yamalapalli (IND) d. Iva Jovic (USA)/ Clervie Ngounoue (USA), walkover
[QF] Rutuja Bhosale (IND)/ Ema Burgic (USA) d. Angella Okutoyi (KEN)/ Merna Refaat (EGY), 64 62

So,

[SF] (4) Alicia Herrero Linana (ESP)/ Sahaja Yamalapalli (IND) vs Elysia Bolton (AUS)/ Maegan Manasse (USA), Saturday
[SF] Rutuja Bhosale (IND)/ Ema Burgic (USA) vs Ayana Akli (USA)/ Eryn Cayetano(USA), Saturday

The top 3 seeds have all been knocked off, so Alicia/Sahaja are the only seeds left.

[Dinesh]

Rutuja/Ema won their semifinal in straight sets and goes to the final. What a week for Ema who wouldn’t have imagined getting this far if not for Rutuja’s doubles expertise. They play the unseeded American team that beat Sahaja/partner in 3 sets earlier today. Let’s go, Rutu/Ema

[jayakris]

[SF] (4) Alicia Herrero Linana (ESP)/ Sahaja Yamalapalli (IND) l. Elysia Bolton (AUS)/ Maegan Manasse (USA), 06 64 [6-10]
[SF] Rutuja Bhosale (IND)/ Ema Burgic (USA) d. Ayana Akli (USA)/ Eryn Cayetano(USA), 75 64

so
[F] Rutuja Bhosale (IND)/ Ema Burgic (USA) vs Elysia Bolton (AUS)/ Maegan Manasse (USA), Sunday

Looks like Rutuja made a good call on a partner this week!

[jayakris]

Sahaja has withdrawn from the Redding W35 this week. She is still sick. The cough is not going away and it is pointless trying to play in a couple of days. She might play the Bakersfield week or just use these two weeks as a training break. We may as well report the Redding results in the Rutuja thread, as she is the only one there, and Sahaja is unsure for the following week in California too.

So, after the finals today, let us move to the Rutuja thread.

[Dinesh]

Rutuja/Ema have won the first set in a tiebreaker. They were always a break down but played catchup and finally held a critical game in the end followed by taking the TB quite easily. Hope they win the next set too!

[Dinesh]

^^^ and lost the match 7-6 2-6 6-10…

Initially, Rutuja entered here with Paige with whom she won 2 titles this year but the Kiwi might have had to cancel her commitment which then brought on this partnership with Ema. I wonder if they will continue to play together next week as well (most likely!).

[jayakris]

At the ITF W35 in Berkeley, California, USA (Hard):

[F] Rutuja Bhosale (IND)/ Ema Burgic (USA) d. Elysia Bolton (AUS)/ Maegan Manasse (USA), 67(3) 62 [6-10]

[Dinesh]

Rutuja is drawn to face the 7th seed Kayla Cross at Redding W35. Kayla has beaten Sahaja in straight sets this year. Tough match.

Rutuja and Ema are playing together again and they have a repeat match against Ayana/Eryn whom they defeated in the SF at Berkeley. Again, a tough one!

[jayakris]

So, after the finals today, let us move to the Rutuja thread.

Well, maybe not

Prathyusha Rachapudi (IND,ITF-458) just qualified into the main draw at Redding. So we have our minimum 2 players in the draw, so let us stick to this thread for this week too. Prathyusha is also in the doubles main draw.

[Q1] Prathyusha Rachapudi (IND,ITF-458) d. (8) Jiangxue Han (CHN,744), 16 64 [10-8]
[Q2] Prathyusha Rachapudi (IND,ITF-458) d. Shannon Lam (USA,1072), 16 62 [10-7]

It is so nice to see Prathyusha pull off two comeback upsets to make the main draw. The 23 year old has been trying really hard to get into main draws, and was unsuccessful in ten qualifying events in a row before this, after makingg an MD at a Serbia W15 in May.

[jayakris]

In doubles at the ITF W35 in Redding, California, USA (Hard):

[R1] Rutuja Bhosale (IND)/ Ema Burgic (USA) vs Ayana Akli (USA)/ Eryn Cayetano (USA), Tuesday
[R1] Britney Chiu (USA)/ Prathyusha Rachapudi (IND) vs Alicia Herrero Linana (ESP)/ Melany Solange Krywoj (ARG), Tuesday

The final singles draw after qualifier placement awaited.

[Dinesh]

Ugh. Rutuja and Ema have given a walkover in their doubles R1. Ema also withdrew from her singles QR1 which was supposed to be the day after their finals at Berkeley, so I thought she was resting herself for doubles but now this. Hopefully, Rutuja is A-okay to play her singles match tomorrow.