Week 13 - ITF W60 - Canberra, Australia Clay

Peter too · Tennis legend

Week 13 - ITF W60 - Canberra, Australia Clay

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

She's been drawn in the first round against an unranked player, one ranked about 450, and two ranked about 250.

To be honest, I think that's very decent.

This is her first 'unlucky' draw.

All the other losses have been just pretty poor play, based on the scores and some bits I've seen on livestream.

the addict · Tennis legend

Doubles

L16:- Naiktha Bains (GBR) / Yuki Naito (JPN) CR612 (275+337) v Catherine Aulia (AUS) / Talia Gibson (AUS) CR2792 (1396+1396) (Both 17yo)

Peter too · Tennis legend

R1: BAINS, Naiktha (GBR) 338 def BUZARNESCU, Mihaela (ROU) (1) 121 6-4 6-2

Hard to know what to say in view of her other recent scores in Australia, 3 R1 and 3 R2 losses.

-- Edited by Peter too on Tuesday 29th of March 2022 05:53:52 AM

steven · Tennis legend

Coup Droit wrote:
She's been drawn in the first round against an unranked player, one ranked about 450, and two ranked about 250.

To be honest, I think that's very decent.

This is her first 'unlucky' draw.

All the other losses have been just pretty poor play, based on the scores and some bits I've seen on livestream.

This may have been her first 'unlucky' R1 draw this year but Naiktha has only gone and won in straight sets, 2&4!

Admittedly, it was a good time to play the Romanian, who is yet to win a WTA-ranked match this year (this may be linked to her having had to retire in her last match of 2021), but still, given that Naiktha has been struggling a bit herself, that's an excellent, confidence-building result.

In fact it's the third biggest ranking scalp of her career (her best since switching to GB!) and the fifth time she has beaten a top 150 player:

95 (Teliana Pereira) in Hobart WTA qualifying in 2014

107 (Ana Bogdan) in Hobart WTA qualifying in 2018

121 (Mihaela Buzarnescu) in R1 at Canberra W60 in 2022

129 (Kaja Juvan) in R2 at Taipei WTA in 2019

137 (Aliona Bolsova) in R2 at La Bisbal d'Emporda W60 in 2019 (the only time she has ever beaten two top 200 players in the same tournament, since she had also beaten WR 181 in R1)

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

I must admit Ive never got round to supporting Naiktha , not really engaged with her, much in the way Ive always struggled to support Brydan and Mandy Carreras who base themselves completely overseas and dont really seem to engage in British tennis. I hope that doesnt sound xenophobic, I really have no issue with players becoming Brits, its a modern and open world and Im happy with that - but I like to support players I can engage with and feel a connection with. Naiktha , Ive always struggled with that.

So that said, this is a good win, a very good win , and I really hope she backs it up. Well done to her.

Lambda · Challenger level

Miki may have had other things on her mind. She has just split from her boyfriend, deleted all references to him on her social media and posted a couple of days ago "Learn from the past to build a better future! Stay strong and focused"

Aberdaberdonian · Club Coach

Peter too wrote:
R1: BAINS, Naiktha (GBR) 338 def BUZARNESCU, Mihaela (ROU) (1) 121 6-4 6-2

Hard to know what to say in view of her other recent scores in Australia, 3 R1 and 3 R2 losses.

-- Edited by Peter too on Tuesday 29th of March 2022 05:53:52 AM

Wow. So that seems to have come totally out of nowhere. Until now, it recently seemed like Naiktha couldn't win for trying

Strongbow · All-time great

Naitha has won at this level before - so hopefully it's a return to form - but who knows confuse

-- Edited by Strongbow on Tuesday 29th of March 2022 10:01:11 PM

indiana · Tennis legend

Strongbow wrote:
Naitha has won at this level before - so hopefully it's a return to form - but who knows

-- Edited by Strongbow on Tuesday 29th of March 2022 10:01:11 PM

Hopefully Naiktha can follow this up this week and/or in the weeks to come.

I'm always wary of just one match which depends how on or off form both players are, and I note Steven and Lambda's comments on Buzarnescu. Did anyone see the match?

Strongbow · All-time great

One Swallow ...

dodrade · Futures qualifying

JonH comes home wrote:
I must admit Ive never got round to supporting Naiktha , not really engaged with her, much in the way Ive always struggled to support Brydan and Mandy Carreras who base themselves completely overseas and dont really seem to engage in British tennis. I hope that doesnt sound xenophobic, I really have no issue with players becoming Brits, its a modern and open world and Im happy with that - but I like to support players I can engage with and feel a connection with. Naiktha , Ive always struggled with that.

So that said, this is a good win, a very good win , and I really hope she backs it up. Well done to her.

I assume she's still based in Australia given how often she plays there which makes the decision to switch back to GB puzzling, although she did make the Fed/BJK Cup squad once.

DF · Tennis legend

A group of our girls used to go to Australia end of one year beginning of the next as there are so many tournaments

for them to play.

the addict · Tennis legend

Doubles

L16:- Naiktha Bains (GBR) / Yuki Naito (JPN) CR612 (275+337) def Catherine Aulia (AUS) / Talia Gibson (AUS) CR2792 (1396+1396) (Both 17yo) 6-3 6-3

QF:- Naiktha Bains (GBR) / Yuki Naito (JPN) CR612 (275+337) v Ankita Raina (IND) / Arina Rodionova (AUS) CR 239 (148+91) [1]

DF · Tennis legend

Naiktha also won her doubles 6-3 6-3