Sahaja Yamalapalli (PTI Photo)
NEW DELHI: India suffered a 1-2 defeat to Thailand in a rain-hit opening Asia/Oceania Group I tie of the Billie Jean King Cup on Wednesday, with a late doubles win offering only a measure of consolation.All eyes were on Sahaja Yamalapalli, who resumed her crucial second singles match after rain halted play on Tuesday evening. With the tie hanging in the balance, the 25-year-old battled hard but eventually went down 4-6, 6-1, 4-6 to Thailand’s Patcharin, ranked 449, in a contest lasting over two hours.Resuming at 3-4 in the final set, Sahaja fought to stay in contention, holding serve to close the gap to 4-5 after Patcharin faltered with a backhand error.
The Indian then showed remarkable composure, dominating baseline rallies and even earning a crucial break point.However, at the defining moment, errors crept in. A forehand and a backhand sailed long, allowing Patcharin to regain control before sealing the match as Sahaja miscued a return. The narrow loss effectively ended India’s hopes in the tie.Earlier, debutant Vaishnavi Adkar had endured a tough outing, going down 1-6, 3-6 to Aunchisa Chanta in the opening singles, leaving India trailing 0-1.
Doubles duo salvage prideWith the tie already decided, the experienced pairing of Rutuja Bhosale and Ankita Raina delivered a strong performance in the doubles rubber, defeating Thasaporn Naklo and Peangtarn Plipuech 6-3, 6-4.The Indian duo started aggressively, racing to a 5-0 lead in the opening set with early breaks. Although the Thai pair staged a brief comeback, Bhosale and Raina held their nerve to close out the set.In the second set, both teams were locked at 3-3 before the Indians secured a decisive break in the seventh game, maintaining their composure to seal the match in straight sets.India will next face New Zealand later in the day, aiming to bounce back and keep their campaign alive.
