12 yo Masha (born November 18, 2003 in Moscow), who's training at the Justine Henin Academy in Belgium (where Sofya Zhuk, the 2015 Junior Wimbledon champion, has been based for a few years now), is looking very promising, she's had a very strong start to this year!
She started by making the SFs of her first tournament of the year, Cat. 1 G14 Properties Christmas Cup in Khimki, straight from the qualies (she beat Maria Dzemeshkevich 2 & 0 in R1, 5th seed Polina Gubina 4 & 2 in R2, 12th seed Viktoriya Kanapatskaya 6-2 7-6(2) in R3, and fellow qualifier Mariya Polischuk 3 & 2 in QF, before losing a close SF to left-handed fellow 2003 girl 16th seed Oksana Selekhmeteva, 4-6 6-3 4-6), and after this she went on to win 2 Cat. 2 G14s in Minsk, Smena Cup (coming from the qualies again, she beat fellow qualifier Kristina Dmitruk 1 & 0 in R1, 3rd seed Viktoriya Kanapatskaya 7-6(1) 3-6 7-6(8) in R2, 5th seed Yeva Avetisyan 1 & 2 in QF, Viktoryia Zhadzinskaya 3 & 1 in SF, and Anastasiya Abramovich 1 & 0 in the final) and Minsk Star, last week (seeded 7, she beat Michelle Tikhonko 3 & 2 in R1, qualifier Anna Chekanskaya 6-4 7-5 in R2, 2nd seed Weronika Baszak 3 & 0 in QF, Sofi Brich 2 & 0 in SF, and 6th seed Viktoriya Kanapatskaya 1 & 2 in the final).
Only 12 yo and she already has an official pigeon in doubles partner Kanapatskaya Poor Vika Cool that they're playing dubs together though!
At the other Cat. 1 G14 tournament that she's played this year, Kungens Kanna & Drottningens Pris in Stockholm, Masha, who was coming from the qualies, beat Matilde Paoletti 2 & 3 in R1, but lost to 13th seed Aleksandra Wierzbowska in R2, 7-6(8) 1-6 1-6. TB GOAT though!
She's 17-3 for the moment this year, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how she will do at the strong Cat. 1 G14s this summer
Go Masha
She started by making the SFs of her first tournament of the year, Cat. 1 G14 Properties Christmas Cup in Khimki, straight from the qualies (she beat Maria Dzemeshkevich 2 & 0 in R1, 5th seed Polina Gubina 4 & 2 in R2, 12th seed Viktoriya Kanapatskaya 6-2 7-6(2) in R3, and fellow qualifier Mariya Polischuk 3 & 2 in QF, before losing a close SF to left-handed fellow 2003 girl 16th seed Oksana Selekhmeteva, 4-6 6-3 4-6), and after this she went on to win 2 Cat. 2 G14s in Minsk, Smena Cup (coming from the qualies again, she beat fellow qualifier Kristina Dmitruk 1 & 0 in R1, 3rd seed Viktoriya Kanapatskaya 7-6(1) 3-6 7-6(8) in R2, 5th seed Yeva Avetisyan 1 & 2 in QF, Viktoryia Zhadzinskaya 3 & 1 in SF, and Anastasiya Abramovich 1 & 0 in the final) and Minsk Star, last week (seeded 7, she beat Michelle Tikhonko 3 & 2 in R1, qualifier Anna Chekanskaya 6-4 7-5 in R2, 2nd seed Weronika Baszak 3 & 0 in QF, Sofi Brich 2 & 0 in SF, and 6th seed Viktoriya Kanapatskaya 1 & 2 in the final).
Only 12 yo and she already has an official pigeon in doubles partner Kanapatskaya Poor Vika Cool that they're playing dubs together though!
At the other Cat. 1 G14 tournament that she's played this year, Kungens Kanna & Drottningens Pris in Stockholm, Masha, who was coming from the qualies, beat Matilde Paoletti 2 & 3 in R1, but lost to 13th seed Aleksandra Wierzbowska in R2, 7-6(8) 1-6 1-6. TB GOAT though!
She's 17-3 for the moment this year, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how she will do at the strong Cat. 1 G14s this summer
Go Masha