Mika Stojsavljevic

Oscariyan · Lower Club Player

Mika Stojsavljvic

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

By the way, I think Mikas name is slightly differently spelt to this thread title?

www.itftennis.com/en/players/mika-stojsavljevic/800645834/gbr/jt/S/overview/d

wimbledont · Junior player

Mika Stojsavljevic

Lambda · Futures level

Re not being on the Pro Scholarship Programme.

Mika gets LTA support by being at the National Academy in Loughborough where she has come on leaps and bounds since joining. The change of coaching set up by joining the Academy seems to have accelerated her development.

The Pro Scholarship Programme is, for women, for 16 to 22 year olds that meet specific criteria. Girls under 16 can be eligible if they meet the criteria for an older age group. If Mika has a WTA ranking of 800 or better at any point between 22 July and 25 November then she will meet the eligibility criteria for a 16 year old (and under) to be shortlisted for next year's programme. Being a junior grand slam semi finalist doesn't get a junior girl on the programme, they would need to win a junior Grand Slam to be shortlisted for selection consideration irrespective of WTA ranking [and I don't recall that being a shortlisting criteria in previous years]

If she joins the PSP then she would have to leave the Academy as she can't be on the PSP while at the Academy. I think she'll stay at the Academy until next summer when she does her GCSEs and then graduate to the PSP if selected, as is likely.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Just my tuppence-ha'penny, wimbletont, for what it's worth (i.e. not a lot

)

Completely agree with Lambda - Mika has come on MILES since joining the academy. She used to be coached by Andrew Lewandowski, not a guy I'm particularly fond of, but he obviously did well in getting her to a certain point. But the improvement since moving is really marked - not only in movement, shot selection etc but even in actual attacking forehand itself

As to the video, just me, but her swing doesn't look particularly unusual to me

You have to a have a full follow-through, i.e. wrap it round your back - it's like a golf swing - it has to be the full arc

In fact, if you foreshorten it, you'll injure yourself for sure, because now you're applying the brakes, so you've got forces for the other direction - the best swing is completely relaxed that just follows a full arc and stops because it can't go any further (like golf) (Club players obviously have a shorter swing without injuring themselves but that's because they have a far slower speed of arm and the arm stops by itself, a bunt, so to speak)

Mika's ends up quite low down her back - but she's a tall girl - a shorter player's swing is more likely to end up higher

wimbledont · Junior player

www.lta.org.uk/news/mika-stojsavljevic-and-paul-jubb-take-home-singles-titles-in-nottingham/

The LTA write up above has a pic which suggests that Mika has grown a bit since last photographed, and is developing a very good physique to bring to the women's game.

Glad to hear that the they're looking after her well - with a Serbian Dad and a Polish Mum she does have other options. Also a younger sister, so best if they're all happy. Sounds like she's being well coached if they're improving her footwork and shot selection, which are current weaknesses. Given that if she's won two more matches last year at girls Wimbledon, she'd have won a Wimbledon women MD wildcard, perhaps they should consider a Wimbledon QWC for her.

RE the forehand - I still think that the amount of rotation she's doing is unusual. Slowly miming her starting position with a kitchen spatula, I've done myself a minor injury, and I've been watching other players to see if I can see anybody who is starting from that far back and finishing that far back again. Haven't seen one so far. She's moving that racquet head a long way in the course of that shot.

Lambda · Futures level

There is no perhaps about it. She will be considered for a QWC and unless somebody out of the picture now does surprisingly well during the early grass events then I'm confident she will get one of the 5 available (once you've discounted those that are reserved for the play-offs and the 18U Junior national winner and that 1 will likely be given to last year's girls winner). Unless Katie Swan returns in time I only see 5 realistic candidates for those 5 available QWCs, with Mika being one of them. I'm not sure how you think she'd have won a MD WC. That's not Wimbledon convention. Junior winners tend to get a QWC the following year which may be upgraded to a MDWC if they are in qualifying directly. Or am I missing something?

wimbledont · Junior player

No, its me that misunderstood. I thought the girls champ got a MD WC.

Var · Club Coach

Lambda wrote:
There is no perhaps about it. She will be considered for a QWC and unless somebody out of the picture now does surprisingly well during the early grass events then I'm confident she will get one of the 5 available (once you've discounted those that are reserved for the play-offs and the 18U Junior national winner and that 1 will likely be given to last year's girls winner). Unless Katie Swan returns in time I only see 5 realistic candidates for those 5 available QWCs, with Mika being one of them. I'm not sure how you think she'd have won a MD WC. That's not Wimbledon convention. Junior winners tend to get a QWC the following year which may be upgraded to a MDWC if they are in qualifying directly. Or am I missing something?

Any thoughts on how MD WCs may play out over the summer for the up and coming juniors? Looks like it may be difficult with so many seniors needing them?

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

wimbledont wrote:
www.lta.org.uk/news/mika-stojsavljevic-and-paul-jubb-take-home-singles-titles-in-nottingham/

The LTA write up above has a pic which suggests that Mika has grown a bit since last photographed, and is developing a very good physique to bring to the women's game.

Glad to hear that the they're looking after her well - with a Serbian Dad and a Polish Mum she does have other options. Also a younger sister, so best if they're all happy. Sounds like she's being well coached if they're improving her footwork and shot selection, which are current weaknesses. Given that if she's won two more matches last year at girls Wimbledon, she'd have won a Wimbledon women MD wildcard, perhaps they should consider a Wimbledon QWC for her.

RE the forehand - I still think that the amount of rotation she's doing is unusual. Slowly miming her starting position with a kitchen spatula, I've done myself a minor injury, and I've been watching other players to see if I can see anybody who is starting from that far back and finishing that far back again. Haven't seen one so far. She's moving that racquet head a long way in the course of that shot.

We can agree to differ biggrin

The best forehand shot bascially does a full arc, it has to - the actual trajectory of the arc will be different (depending on top spin, height, etc) but it has to go practically full circle

Short of inury, or sudden shocking loss of form, she's definitely getting a Wimbeldon QWC, IMO smile

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Mika smashes her way to a new CH:

WTA 676 (+198)

She is now the third-best ranked 15 year-old (just behind Emerson Jones (WR 640) and Hannah K (WR 665)

Var · Club Coach

Coup Droit wrote:
Mika smashes her way to a new CH:

WTA 676 (+198)

She is now the third-best ranked 15 year-old (just behind Emerson Jones (WR 640) and Hannah K (WR 665)

well done to Mika. Really interesting watch now along with our other juniors, including Hannah and Mimi. Wouldnt like to bet on who will break through into the top 200 first TBH. Exciting times. Spend most of my time following the juniors now, more interesting than the a lot of the WTA and ATP!