City teenager Sama Sathwika’s nascent career got a major fillip when she bagged her maiden ITF title, defeating 11{+t}{+h}seed Shevitha Aulana of Indonesia 6-3, 6-4 in the final of the ITF Grade IV tournament in Malacca (Malaysia) last weekend.
A trainee of the NVK Tennis Academy run by former Davis Cupper Vasudeva Reddy and former national champion S. Narendranath, Sama has been quite consistent in the circuit. “I am feeling much more confident, having won a major title in this age group,” said Sathwika, a class IX student of Nasr School, Khairatabad.
With the GVK Foundation sponsoring her, Sathwika has every reason to stay focussed more on the game than on other issues related to the sport. The best part is that she is a coach’s delight – untiring and always willing to learn.
Sathwika found herself on a tennis court when her father, Cyberabad Assistant Commissioner of Police I. Jayaram, put her to a fitness regimen under Bhaskar Reddy. She found the racket sport very interesting ever since.
Her three-month stint at the Elite Tennis Academy in Barcelona in 2012 also had a huge impact not just her on game but also her mental approach to the task at hand. A big fan of tennis stars Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova, Sathwika doesn’t have to look very far for inspiration, what with India’s best woman tennis player Sania Mirza hailing from her own city.
I am feeling much more confident, having won a major title in this age group
