British Tennis Forum - Celebrating 20 Years!

Peter too · Tennis legend

Week 2- ITF W50 Manchester - Indoor Hard

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Peter too wrote:
Its a match between a 17 year old with a JCH=4 and an 18 year old with a JCH=10. They met at the Junior French Open in 2024 when Elizara won 1 & 2. Mika has come on a lot in the last year or two so it should be a good match.

And Mika hates clay

the addict · Tennis legend

Dodin lost to Naef 1 & 2.
Mika about to start

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

A set with wild swings, that one

Yaneva was 5-1 up

Mika came storming back

Yaneva had a SP - but lost it

Then we end up in a TB and Mika is 5-2 up

And then Yaneva wins the tiebreak 7-5

paulisi · Tennis legend

Mika went two breaks down, got them both back with some terrific play and big serving.
Went a break up in the tiebreak, but disappointingly couldn't see it out.

indiana · Tennis legend

So Mika's successive TB win run ends at 7.

I just tuned into see Mika go long on her return at SP down and rhen rather aggressively throw her racket to the back of the court. Didn't seem too happy!

Guess quite a letdown after such a fight back earlier and then TB lead.

the addict · Tennis legend

SF:- Mika Stojsavljevic (GBR) WR 290 lost to Elizara Yaneva (BUL) WR365 (5)6-7 4-6

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Well, people's picks have all died today

and we're left with two players nobody called out as potential winners, although Celine does have previous class, but then so did the more widely touted Dodin.

And Yaneva certainly struggled earlier in the draw - very nearly lost to Sebov

But Mika has had a good week - let her head drop a little at the end of that match - but a good week nonetheless

wolf · Tennis legend

It was a bit of a one dimensional match. Absolutely no willingness to defend. I wish more youngsters were taught to play like Mirra Andreeva, say.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

wolf wrote:
It was a bit of a one dimensional match. Absolutely no willingness to defend. I wish more youngsters were taught to play like Mirra Andreeva, say.

Mirra is Hannah Klugman's favourite player, along with Ash Barty, and model

BUT then you end up with Hannah JUST defending, trying to rely completely on building a point, and variation etc etc

When actually - given her physique, especially - she needs to take a bit more risk, flatten it, and hit the blinkin' ball

I think Mika has the right gameplan

But there's always a quesiton of balance and she won't win every match with it

indiana · Tennis legend

Pity. Good week by Mika. Another learning week and hopefully learning final match.

She does yes so often go to the first option of trying to thump it back as hard as she can from an increasingly forced back position when a careful slice to take pace out of the rally does at times look the better percentage option. Something to develop over time. But so forcing the issue when in better court position is good to see..

-- Edited by indiana on Saturday 17th of January 2026 01:52:06 PM

wolf · Tennis legend

It's more I was thinking when you are very young practice the ball skills to have variety and it be natural.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Mika also won a lot of points, by attacking out of defence, taking risk, surprising her opponent

She doesn't have great natural 'feel' - but the power she generates, the weight of ther ball - it's very Maria Sharapova like

And so if she wins a lot of the points, hitting an amazingly aggressisve shot, where she arguably should have sliced, to get back in the rally, and then it's a 50:50 rally, at best

then she's also going to lose some of them, in exactly the same way

And I think she won more than she lost that way

I didn't see the very start but - to me - the only thing that was truly disappointing was the way she let her head drop at the end, she didn't make it tough for Yaneva to win, sort of gifted it to her (very much like Hannah did, in fact, with the second set, to Sebov)

the addict · Tennis legend

Naef took the title, beating Yaneva in three sets.