International tennis standout chooses FIU as new home

The FIU tennis team has a shaky start to their season, but expect to make a comeback

Friday, July 13

By Jenna Smith/Contributing Writer

 

Istanbul women’s tennis standout, Basak Akbas, is ready to begin her collegiate career here, at FIU.

The top-ten athlete and will be joining the Panthers in the Falland possesses the necessary experience and energy. “I am a fighter on the court,” said Akbas in an interview with PantherNow.

Since the age of five, Akbas has competed in matches for her homeland of Turkey.

Her most unforgettable matches include beating Loudmilla Bencheikh while on the National team U16 and also beating Elisabetta Cocciaretto. She even pulled out a victory over Caijsa Wilda Hennermann in Junior’s competition. All of her opponents were ranked No. 1 in their countries.

Akbas says she chose FIU because she fell in love with the school’s beautiful location and how both the players and women’s tennis head coach Katrina Petrovic made her feel welcome.

“Being able to work under a hardworking coach like Petrovic will give me the chance to hopefully play professionally, after graduation,” said Akbas.

Akbas’s other international victories include the U14 and U18 Turkish Championships. She played for the Turkish National team six times along with competing in four Junior finals and a title match in Sweden.

During the Santa Marina Junior Cup in Bulgaria and the Gary Drake Tennis Cup tournaments in Turkey, Akbas won the finals for doubles.

In her singles competition, Akbas appeared in the finals during the GD Tennis Cup and the Santa Marina Junior Cup. In 2017, she went the semifinals of the International Tennis Federation High Coast Ranking Tournament followed by competing as a repeated quarterfinalist in the Nazmi Bari Cup and Atik ITF Junior Cup.

With FIU achieving a top ten recruiting for the class of the 2018-19 season, Akbas will be one of many players to keep an eye on.

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