Mahak Jain

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Prashant
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Re: Mahak Jain

Post by Prashant »

Play wherever you are most likely to be exposed to opposition that is slightly better than you. As simple as that. General rule for any young sportsperson. Not worse than you, not so much better that they rub your face in the dirt.

In her case it seems highly likely that this is in the better junior tournaments.
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Re: Mahak Jain

Post by Varma »

Yes, RamK reached top-140. That made us very happy since for the past couple of decade we are so used to celebrating a player reaching top-300 in rankings. When Buji and Yuki made it to the top-100, we went so nuts as if they won a grandslam. With that kind of a background, we are ready to forgive the path RamK has taken just by looking at his current ranking. Maybe he would have become a top-100 or even top-70 by now, had he taken the regular path of playing junior tour and then transitioned to the pros. We will never know! However, I think had he played junior tour as a top gun, he would have got many chances to try out new skills he acquired during training, at least in the initial rounds where he was expected to win handsdown. He couldn't have that luxury playing qualies in futures events competing with guys at least 4-5 years older and physically much stronger, not to mention their tennis which is expectantly similar or better than his. I think repeating this mindless routine of "toughening up" hampered his chances to iron out some basic flaws. Unless you are a Capriati, there is no way you can entirely skip juniors. More so, if you are just a 16-year old top-50 junior with no earth-shaking results. I don't know who the master-mind behind making this decision of having Mahak skip juniors, but they are blasphemously minimizing the chances of Mahak maximizing her potential.

- Varma
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Re: Mahak Jain

Post by jayakris »

sanjay5goel wrote: Thu Dec 14, 2017 3:51 pm
prasen9 wrote: Thu Dec 14, 2017 3:44 pmBut, I think that the training in Spain worked and helped him improve aspects of his game (including mental).
What could be the reason that they completely ignored improving his backhand during the early years?
Exactly. Because he was just another player for them. He had not established anything about how good he was, when he got there. Had not even played much of juniors for them to know. They didn't care to fix him. They anyway got enough publicity in India, and they weren't going to care anymore. Let me not mince words here.

It's so sad to see him say now, at age 23, that he needs to use his backhand and stop the habit of trying to run around the ball to hit his forehand. Maybe that would have worked against the no-names he was playing in Spain, when he developed the habit. Not on the real pro events. He had to learn things on his own after he left from Spain.
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Re: Mahak Jain

Post by jayakris »

sameerph wrote: Thu Dec 14, 2017 3:37 pmHaha, yeah. I was pretty sure at that time that it was a wrong approach. But, just that he has reached a ranking of 136 ( which is very good in Indian context) makes me think about that again. Finally the end result matters and would his ranking been better than this if he had played juniors ?
No doubt that it would have been better. He should have been getting coached at the academy for many more weeks than he did in 2011, when he was wasting time playing qualies at some 10 or 12 futures events in a row as a 16 year old. The coaching he got there, plus a junior tour for at least 2011 would have had him move up faster to #136. I think we shouldn't confuse between the coaching, and the tour planning. I am willing to give some credit to the Spanish guys for physical training and some coaching (though his backhand makes everybody wonder about the coaching) - but in the end, the coaching must have helped. But I will criticize them for ever for the stupid tour scheduling that wasted (yes, WASTED) a year or more of RamK's time. It could have been much faster and better with quicker fixing of issues, had his tour planning in 2011/12 involved some junior events and matches against better players.

I am also making a key point here that may not have come through clearly in my Sania post above. The higher levels of the junior tour give you much better-coached players than can the futures tour. Most of the matches in the futures tour are against players who never reach higher than top-300, with limited games (though they can still beat you with it), whereas in the grade-1 and grade-A events you get to play many more guys who have better games, that help you identify your own issues and know where you have to get to. So, if anybody thinks that junior tour at the grade A and grand slam level are against worse players than in the futures tour, that is just plain wrong. You learn so much less against the also-rans in the futures tour. And the tour is filled with them, except an occasional 1 or 2 players in a draw who are moving on up, whom you don't even get to play anyway because some guy who is never gong to crack top400 will grind you out or serve you out before that. But almost all the seeds and many more are good quality players in the junior tour A and grand slam levels but they aren't experienced in the low-level game to necessarily beat you like the futures tour also-rans. You learn more against them.
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Re: Mahak Jain

Post by sameerph »

Just checked the entry lists for ITF tournaments for first 3 weeks of 2018 and Mahak has not entered any of the ITF events around the world. Why did she miss out on the Australian open juniors then ? If the decision of her team is to turn pro, she could have still played the Australian open juniors as a final junior tournament ( especially considering that even travel assistance from AITA was possible). Really not sure what is the thinking here ?
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Re: Mahak Jain

Post by sameerph »

Finally Mahak played a competitive tennis match after more than 5 months. She played in the qualies of $25K at Obidos,Portugal and lost in the qualies to unranked German player Anna Klassen ( who has a career high rank of 426 though), in straight sets.

Good that she has at least started playing again. Hope she gains her form soon and does not have to regret wasted 5 months playing neither juniors or pros.
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Re: Mahak Jain

Post by sameerph »

In this week's qualifying Mahak played the same German player whom she had lost to last week. But, this time she won after losing the first set.

At $25K ITF Women, Obidos, Portugal

[Q1] Mahak JAIN (IND) [3] BYE

[Q2] Mahak JAIN (IND) [3] 4-6 6-4 6-2 Anna KLASEN (GER)

Main draw-

[R1] (Q) Mahak JAIN (IND,838) vs. (Q) Luniuska DELGADO (VEN,NR)
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Re: Mahak Jain

Post by bujilover »

Great chance to build her ranking. 8 easy points.
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Re: Mahak Jain

Post by sameerph »

Very easy win for Mahak in first round.

At $25K ITF Women, Obidos, Portugal (Carpet-outddor)

[R1] (Q) Mahak JAIN (IND,838) d. (Q) Luniuska DELGADO (VEN,NR) 61 61

She is up against 4th seed next.

[R2] (Q) Mahak JAIN (IND,838) vs. (4) Amina ANSHBA (RUS,340)
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Re: Mahak Jain

Post by bujilover »

Rain spoiled Jain's match today.
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Re: Mahak Jain

Post by sameerph »

Mahak lost after a decent fight against the fourth seed.

At $25K ITF Women, Obidos, Portugal (Carpet-outddor)

[R2] (Q) Mahak JAIN (IND,838) l. (4) Amina ANSHBA (RUS,340) 57 57

Mahak had reached the final $15K in Aurangabad in the same week last year. So, she at least defend 5 of those 7 points which she was losing. Now, she has nothing to defend till November and can only move up till then.
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Re: Mahak Jain

Post by bujilover »

Mahak comtinues her stay in Portugal for 2 more weeks.
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Re: Mahak Jain

Post by sameerph »

At $25K ITF Women, Obidos, Portugal (Carpet-outddor)

[R1] (Q) Mahak JAIN (IND,835) d. Ines MURTA (POR,605) 62 61

Impressive scoreline by Mahak against a higher ranked local player.

Next,

[R2] (Q) Mahak JAIN (IND,835) vs. (6) Berfu CENGIZ (TUR,398)
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Re: Mahak Jain

Post by bujilover »

That's a great effort. So Mahak gained 12 WTA points so far in 2 weeks. Here is hoping she stretches her Turkish opponent just like Sneha did. :goodluck:
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Re: Mahak Jain

Post by Sin Hombre »

sameerph wrote: Wed Jun 13, 2018 2:39 pm At $25K ITF Women, Obidos, Portugal (Carpet-outddor)

[R1] (Q) Mahak JAIN (IND,835) d. Ines MURTA (POR,605) 62 61

Impressive scoreline by Mahak against a higher ranked local player.

Next,

[R2] (Q) Mahak JAIN (IND,835) vs. (6) Berfu CENGIZ (TUR,398)
Given the scoreline, probably the win of the week so far in my book.
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