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

[Dinesh]

Sahaja and Rutuja will compete in a few ITF tournaments in the US starting next week.

Starting with the W35 Berkeley, Sahaja will be one of the top-4 seeds and Rutuja (with a ranking of #469) has secured a direct acceptance to the main draw as well. Last direct entry is Sahaja's conqueror - Karina Miller. In doubles, Sahaja is partnering Spaniard Alicia Herrero Linana and Rutuja's partner Paige Hourigan seemed to have withdrew since the pairing is shown under WD list (and Rutuja had already made it to Chicago a day ago).

After Berkeley, they will travel to Redding (CA) to play in a similar level ITF (which will then be followed by a W35 in Bakersfield).

Hope this Fall US ITF series helps Sahaja to attain a direct acceptance to Australian Open Qualifying and Rutuja to get back to top-350.

[jayakris]

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

[R1] (3) Sahaja Yamalapalli (IND,295) vs Alana Smith (USA,503)
[R1] Rutuja Bhosale (IND,464) vs (4) Jamie Loeb (USA,322)

They are in the top and bottom half of the draw. Both have winnable R1 matches here. Jamie Loeb is on an 11-match losing streak over 5 months, so Rutuja can hopefully extend that streak. Alana is a good player but I don't expect her to trouble Sahaja too much.

[Dinesh]

^^^ Agreed. I was just coming to post the same that both have winnable matches. Jamie Loeb’s UTR is .4 decimals lower than Rutuja who herself is on a comeback trail, so definitely a winnable match for the Indian if she stays focused (I’m expecting this to go to 3 sets though).

[jayakris]

But the second seed Iva Jovic (USA,285) is probably the toughest player in the field. The 16 year old is #2 in the world in the juniors, and is the youngest player in the WTA top-300... She even won a main draw round at the US Open last month!

[Dinesh]

^^^ Yep, and Clervie Ngounoue. These 2 are the ones to watch out for.

[jayakris]

Oh, it seems Clara Vlasselaer in Sahaja's side was the runner up at the Portual W35 a few days ago... The field is not as easy as expected.

[jayakris]

In doubles,

[R1] (4) Alicia Herrero Linana (ESP)/ Sahaja Yamalapalli (IND) vs Ena Koike (JPN)/ Wakana Sonobe (JPN)
[R1] Rutuja Bhosale (IND)/ Ema Burgic (USA) vs (2) Jaimee Fourlis (AUS)/ Viktoria Hruncakova (SVK)

Why don't they just play together? I think 32 year old Burgic restarted playing after an 8 year (!) break a couple of months ago. She was #145 in doubles before she quit playing, but ranked below 1000. Maybe Rituja knows her and picked her, as her own doubles ranking would have allowed her to be seeded with any number of player there?

[Dinesh]

Ema and Rutuja must know each other since they posted an update on Instagram saying “finally hitting after 8 years”. So maybe during Rutuja’s college career?

[jayakris]

^^^ Okay, then that is what it is. I guessed right.

I don't know if they have played together before (didn't check ITF records), but they must have certainly played against each other, as they were in the Big12 conference in college tennis at around the same time. Rutuja playing for Texas A&M and Burgic playing for Baylor.

[jayakris]

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

[R1] (3) Sahaja Yamalapalli (IND,295) l. Alana Smith (USA,503), 26 26

Well, this was not a match at all, really. Sahaja was hardly moving, and looked really of low energy. Once in a while she would hit a hard shot like she can, but that was about it. During the match I texted Kiran Devaa (in New Jersey) who has coached her a bit recently to see if he knew what was up, and he said she is down with a cold and sore throat. That explained it, because I couldn't imagine that Sahaja's game would go down that much just from being away from hard courts for a coupled of weeks. In fact it didn't seem like the court was giving her any trouble. She just didn't have energy to run at all, and the serve was hardly sharp either.

So, Manas and Sahaja have gone out with injury and illness today... Sumit just returning from injury and rusty, so he went out today too. Not a good start for the week

[Atithee]

Goddamn it! They always have an excuse. Puhleeeze.

[jayakris]

I saw the match, Atithee. It was pretty clear that she was sick. I have not heard from her though.

[jayakris]

[R1] Rutuja Bhosale (IND)/ Ema Burgic (USA) d. (2) Jaimee Fourlis (AUS)/ Viktoria Hruncakova (SVK), 75 26 [10-6]

Nice upset for the old friends. At least a good doubles win to finish Tuesday, after all the bad outings by various Indians in China, Europe and USA.

[Dinesh]

Jamie Loeb is on an 11-match losing streak over 5 months, so Rutuja can hopefully extend that streak.

Of course, an Indian player would lose a set 6-1 to a player that’s on a 11-match losing streak. I am not watching so I don’t know what’s going on.

[jayakris]

I am watching, but wish I weren't. Rutuja is making mistakes left and right. Shots going long and wide... Serving is so so too. Jamie Loeb was very tentative in the first set and looked really low on confidence. She was making mistakes too, but Rutuja really could not make use of any of that. In the second set, Jamie is playing at a higher level. Rutu may be playin a bit better too, but it may be too little too late... 16 35 and Loeb serving for the match.

As I say it, I see why Jamie has been losing. She totally choked while serving for the match. From 30-15, she was trying hard to double fault, but could not, and Rutu took 3 points to get back in it. 16 45 and serving. Good game. 16 55... A good hold and one favorable line call... 6-6. But the TB was all Loeb...

[R1] Rutuja Bhosale (IND,464) l. (4) Jamie Loeb (USA,322), 16 67(1)