Subhash, 14, is the youngest Indian-origin girl to qualify for a Grand Slam tournament.
By Sujeet Rajan
NEW YORK: The 2015 US Open Tennis sensation, Natasha Subhash, 14, who impressed with her superb play winning three singles matches in four days against vastly more experienced and ranked players – with two of those matches won playing with a heavily strapped knee after an injury, won the girls doubles title at the Pan American ITF championship, with good friend and partner Ann Li, 15, at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma, on October 17th.
The talented Subhash, from Fairfax, Virginia, and Li, from Devon, Pennsylvania, who had also played as a team at the US Open in Flushing Meadows this year, beat Hurricane Tyra Black and Meibel Chi, 7-6 (4), 6-3, in the finals at Tulsa, to collect their first big title. The duo have won regional tournaments in the past.
Subhash has now a solid 18 -5 win-loss record in the doubles, and 10-7 record in the singles, for this year, according to the ITF. Her combined ranking in the ITF is No. 483.
Subhash, who turned 14 last month, is the youngest Indian-origin girl to qualify for a Grand Slam tournament.
The girls’ singles championship was won by Kayla Day, who beat Kelly Chen 6-4, 6-1. Brandon Holt, a wild card, won both the singles and doubles championship in the boys championship. He beat JJ Wolf 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-0, in the singles, and then partnered with Vasil Kirkov to take the tournament’s boys doubles final.