Natasha Subhash, Caty McNally win women’s doubles title in Tampa

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NEW YORK – Natasha Subhash, 16, and her partner Caty McNally, 16, won the women’s doubles title at the United States Tennis Academy’s Pro Circuit $15,000 Tampa tournament, in Florida, earlier this month.

It was the first women’s doubles title for Subhash, an Indian American amateur, who has given a verbal commitment to the University of Virginia, after she graduates from high school next year.

Subhash and McNally, who were unseeded in the competition, upset the No. 4-seeded American pair of Katerina Stewart and Rasheeda McAdoo 3-6, 6-3, 10-6.

The teenagers also ousted the top-seeded team of Americans Quinn Gleason and Ingrid Neel 6-1, 6-2 in the semifinals.

Subhash and McNally lost only one set, in the final, on their way to the championship.

Stewart, who recently left the United States Military Academy at West Point to take another shot at pro tennis, went on to win the women’s singles title in Tampa, beating No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula 6-4, 6-0 in the final for her 10th career USTA Pro Circuit title.

The talented Subhash, who has wowed fans with her aggressive play on court, has been steadily rising in the international junior girls’ circuit ranks. The win in Tampa marks a high point in her promising career.

Natasha and McNally have tasted success before as partners, in the junior girls’ circuit.

In November, 2016, the duo won the doubles title of the 2016 Abierto Juvenil Mexicano tournament, held in Mexico City, Mexico.

Subhash and McNally were also paired up at the 2016 US Open girls doubles championship, but had to pull out after McNally got injured in her singles match.

In November of 2015, Subhash won a rare double: the girls’ singles and doubles titles at the 2015 Atlanta ITF tournament, played on hard courts at the Life Time Athletic at Peachtree Corners. Subhash became the first player of Indian-origin to achieve the rare double in an international tennis tournament.

Subhash, though she has played several Grand Slam tournaments, in the junior girls singles and doubles championship, is restricted because of her age to playing only a limited number of tournaments as stipulated by the International Tennis Federation.

Subhash, who is home schooled, trains at 4 Star Tennis Academy, under coach Bear Schofield.

Natasha is the daughter of Subhash Kongassery and Sulekha Subhash, who emigrated to the United States in 1997, from Delhi. The couple, who are from Kerala, grew up in Delhi. Sulekha is a teacher, while Subhash Kongassery is an IT professional in the Washington, DC area.