Mahak Jain

[sameerph]

True, Mahak has played 5 singles matches so far this year in 3 months. Even considering that calendar in first quarter of the year is generally the leanest this is too low. She cannot get into any sort of rhythm playing this infrequently.

Last year she played 30 matches the whole year. Again too few. Compare it to Ankita and Karman, I think considering 22-25 weeks a year, one should play somewhere between 50-60 matches a year at least.

She should at least played the junior slams and 4-5 more junior tournaments last year which would have given her those extra matches.

[jayakris]

We keep harping on this, but somehow our juniors and their advisors give way too low an importance to the plain "number of matches played" stat. Quality opposition or not, I think you need to play some 150+ competitive matches after reaching the top-100 in the juniors to become ready for the pro tour by age 20-22 (ie, be ready with a chance to beat the top-150 type players). That many matches are needed to get mentally ready for all kinds of surfaces, opponents and situations. Also to develop one's instincts and one's confidence in the situational shots and weapons. No amount of practice with your coach will teach you that. But 150 matches after reaching junior top-100, takes 5-6 years for many Indian kids. Just not the way.

I have not looked at the precise stats for successful and unsuccessful players, and am giving the number 150 from just a hunch. Maybe I should look into it. I am pretty sure that Sania played a fairly high number of matches since age 16 and a lot of them in the juniors, till she broke into the top-50 three years later. She was just perfecting her "no-think" instinctive style. Would be good to check on how others did and how much they played in the juniors and seniors.

[Varma]

I completely second that, Jay. You may not find stats for many juniors, but if you look at any aspiring Tennis player in the US they play unbelievable number of matches, be it in the USTA leagues or other age group tournaments. Whatever level you are at, they are continuously training and playing tournaments pretty much throughout the year. The same cannot be said of ANY Indian junior. I guess our kids and parents are still not valuing that fact, and rely heavily on Academies and coaches. No one can teach you match situations. There is a reason even the seasoned pros lose routinely when they come back from a long break, no matter how physically fit they are and how much training they did the few weeks before. The need of the hour is to start cooperative leagues in every nook and corner of the country. Things will evolve from that since kids will be hungry to win more and move on to the next level to showcase their skill.

- Varma

[knarayen]

I completely second that, Jay. You may not find stats for many juniors, but if you look at any aspiring Tennis player in the US they play unbelievable number of matches, be it in the USTA leagues or other age group tournaments. Whatever level you are at, they are continuously training and playing tournaments pretty much throughout the year. The same cannot be said of ANY Indian junior. I guess our kids and parents are still not valuing that fact, and rely heavily on Academies and coaches. No one can teach you match situations. There is a reason even the seasoned pros lose routinely when they come back from a long break, no matter how physically fit they are and how much training they did the few weeks before. The need of the hour is to start cooperative leagues in every nook and corner of the country. Things will evolve from that since kids will be hungry to win more and move on to the next level to showcase their skill.

- Varma

Couldn’t agree more. It is critical to intersperse match play into training schedules - how else will you build real confidence in your skills? Honing with match play is critical. If coaches are not demanding this from their junior charges, something is seriously wrong. By the way, i am not surprised at the indian helicopter parents, hovering around and asserting their influence over that of the coaches. I’ve seen more than my share of it in my lifetime.

Prof

[sameerph]

I am pretty sure that Sania played a fairly high number of matches since age 16 and a lot of them in the juniors, till she broke into the top-50 three years later. She was just perfecting her "no-think" instinctive style. Would be good to check on how others did and how much they played in the juniors and seniors.

Looked at Sania's early years on pro tour when she was 16+, she played a bug number of $10K tournaments too, won some 10-11 such tournaments from September 2002 when she was close to 16 till August 2004 when she was close to 18. I am sure competition at such 10K level will not be that great but it gave her a lot of matches in those formative years and lot of confidence as she kept winning most of those matches. She only played a few 25K tournaments in that period. In August 2014, she reached the final of 25K in Delhi and then started having success at that level and gave up on 10K altogether.

Mahak gave up juniors before she was 16 and has now given up playing lower level ITF's too ( now 15K) after she turned 17 last year and she has not win a single title so far. WTA not giving up points for 15K's any more may have contributed a bit towards this. But, it would be worthwhile for her to play those events at least if not juniors to gain matches and some wins. Now, in many cases it is 1 match and done for her at 25K level.

I hope her career does not get totally messed up due to this scheduling and she is still able to fulfill her promise.

[sameerph]

This is an article on Mahak with comments from her coach-

Lodi confident about Mahak’s path ahead

The same issue which we talked about here-

With coach Sajid Lodi deciding, in consultation with the family, that there was no point in Mahak competing in the international junior circuit, it was important to get better exposure in the ITF women’s tournaments.
“We are 100% sure that playing the professional women’s circuit is the way forward for Mahak,” said coach Lodi, emphasising the point that the quicker the girl adapts to the professional circuit, the better for her.

Every coach in India seems to be sold to this idea now that there is no point in playing junior ITF circuit.

[Varma]

Every coach in India seems to be sold to this idea now that there is no point in playing junior ITF circuit.

...despite the fact that none of these coaches were able to prove their point. How can these guys be not realistic? How can they be ignorant of the abundance of match practice and exposure the junior events can give these gifted youngsters? (This emoji is not enough. We need a better one to be added to the gallery )

- Varma

[knarayen]

I agree. Every player is different, but it is important to start in the ITF Juniors, build confidence with a lot of wins there. Sania’s approach was the correct one. The transition to women’s can happen earlier if the players starts dominating in her junior age group. Some are able to transition much earlier. Others are late bloomers. There is no one-size-fits-all rule.

Prof

[Dinesh]

[Moving the below post from another thread. Also, on Mahak's W15 titles at Nairobi in August, see this thread... Mod, Jay]

Saha Nadimana, the player from Burundi who lost to Mahak two finals in a row in Nairobi is the winner of the $25K Lagos week 1 tournament. What is Mahak up to, these days?

[jayakris]

Saha Nadimana, the player from Burundi who lost to Mahak two finals in a row in Nairobi is the winner of the $25K Lagos week 1 tournament. What is Mahak up to, these days?

Apparently taking a break and probably doing the 12th standard studies. Here is the latest article on her, which is from late August right after the Nairobi titles, where she says she has the 12th standard stuff to do - https://scroll.in/field/934662/indian-t ... -two-weeks

Meanwhile, she was picked up by the Gujarat Panthers at the Indian Tennis Premier League today for a Rs. 1.5 lakhs. Ankita, Pranjala, and Rutuja also went to various teams.

[sameerph]

It seems Mahak is taking the college tennis route -

WOMEN’S TENNIS INKS THREE

Rising as high as no. 29 in ITF Junior rankings, Mahak Jain joins the Yellow Jackets from Bhopal, India. Owning an 81-32 record in Junior singles, Jain has competed in numerous events at both the Junior and professional levels. This past August, Jain claimed the singles and doubles titles of the ITF World Tennis Tour in Nairobi, Kenya, winning five singles and four doubles matches. She also competed in a pair of ITF World Tennis Tour tournaments in the spring, reaching the second round of qualifying in singles in both Hong Kong and Canberra, Australia. Jain fell in three sets in the semifinal round of the ITF Women’s Circuit in Navi Mumbai, India.

“Mahak is an extremely accomplished player who has been successful in both ITF Junior events and pro tournaments,” commented head coach Rodney Harmon. “We are excited to have her join the Georgia Tech family next fall.”

Not sure of credentials tennis wise of this program but did not have anyone so far among women who have gone to US college and done well in pros. Rutuja Bhosale is still trying. Hope Mahak can change that.

[PKBasu]

Mahak (now in her freshman year) seems to be studying business at Georgia Tech, and not necessarily focusing massively on tennis. She was playing as the sixth singles player on the team -- and won all 7 of her first matches at that position (including one at #5 and one at #4). Then she was promoted to play #4 singles, and lost 4 matches at that position in February. Here is more detail: https://data.ramblinwreck.com/stats/w-t ... amigbg.htm

So Mahak's college tennis career doesn't look too promising, and she is unranked nationally. The top-3 players on the Georgia Tech team are ranked 13, 56 and 123 nationally (in singles). But she will need to do much better at #4 to hope to be ranked nationally. There is a doubles team (including two of the best singles players) who are ranked #5 nationally in doubles, but Mahak doesn't play doubles for the team.

Sadly, one of our most promising juniors of recent times didn't capitalize on her talent in the junior ranks, played too little, and then decided to go to a good academic school, where she isn't really that focused on tennis alone. So we have seemingly lost one promising player who could have become a good pro.

[sameerph]

Mahak has won her last 9 singles matches for her university -

Mahak Jain

All of these wins have come at # 5 and # 6 though. So, only 1 win over a ranked player. Most of those wins were over players from good ranked teams and in last 2 matches Mahak won clutch matches for her university which has taken them to final of the ACC tournament-

SEMIFINAL BOUND! JACKETS EDGE NO. 4 NC STATE, 4-3

CHAMPIONSHIP BOUND! JACKETS STING HURRICANES, 4-3

[suresh]

This is good stuff from Mahak. Playing and winning matches with a tie on the line is a great experience. This is why NCAA tennis is a good thing for some of our kids. Of course, coaching and having a bunch of teammates to play with regularly is another reason. Hopefully, next year, she will play higher than #5-#6 for her team.

[prasen9]

This is good stuff from Mahak. Playing and winning matches with a tie on the line is a great experience.

All good. But, this is actually worrisome. I hear that there are too many cases where there is a tie on the line. These businesspeople as is wont with them are leaving their ties on the line carelessly and that causes a slipping hazard for the players. One of these days someone is going to be really injured badly by slipping while going for it with a tie on the line! I would not call it a great experience, no sir! A harrowing experience it would surely be. Society will again pay for the ills of these cavalier business people.