Monique Barry wins second ITF doubles title

New Zealand's Monique Barry has won her second ITF doubles title at an event in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand.

The 21-year-old and her partner, Shrivalli Rashmikaa Bhamidipaty from India, won the final of the W15 tournament 6-2, 7-6(3) against their Thai opponents Punnin Kovapitukted and Supapitch Kuearum.

Barry and Bhamidipaty won both their first round match and quarter-final in straight sets, before a tough semi-final against Japan's Anri Nagata and Kisa Yoshioka, with the Kiwi/Indian duo coming out on top 6-3, 5-7, 10-7.

Barry won her first doubles title on the ITF Women's World Tennis Tour in July last year in Caloundra, Australia with fellow Kiwi Vivian Yang.

Since then, Barry has made a string of doubles quarter finals, semi finals, and finals.

“It was the best feeling to win a final again, it felt really good, I was so happy,” she said.

“This tournament was the last tournament of my Asia ITF block and I felt really positive and was seeing the ball the best I have all trip. I knew this one was going to be a good tournament.”

She also made the quarter finals in singles at the W15 event in Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Barry has played seven tournaments in Thailand, Taiwan, and Hong Kong over the past couple of months. It was her first time travelling overseas on tour by herself.

She said it had been “a roller coaster” with some “really great wins” and “very tough losses” along the way.

She found form towards the end of the trip, she said.

“They have probably been the hottest places I have ever been to, so some weeks were harder than others but I’ve adapted well.”

Barry won New Zealand Female Player of the Year at the 2022 Tennis NZ Awards, after achieving her first WTA ranking and making two singles quarter finals at ITF Women's World Tennis Tour events in Australia.

Her current WTA ranking is 610 for singles and 512 for doubles.

She is a member of the five-strong New Zealand women's team that will contest the Billie Jean King Cup (formerly Fed Cup) Asia/Oceania Group 2 competition in Malaysia from 24-29 July.

Barry said she is “honoured” to be representing New Zealand at such a high profile event.

After Malaysia, she will play in a W15 event in Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast in Australia, where she won her first ITF title last year.

Barry is based in Melbourne when she is not touring.