BJK Cup: India win the battle, lose the war and fail to make playoffs

NEW DELHI: When this writer spoke to the Indian squad up of Billie Jean King Cup Asia/Oceania Group 1 necktie successful New Delhi, Ankita Raina categorically pointed retired that she wasn't done playing singles.

She was right. The 33-year-old had played arsenic precocious arsenic March 23 astatine the W15 successful Nagpur. However, her past foray successful the nationalist colours was 2 years agone and past triumph came connected 9 April, 2024. After a comfy win, she mislaid 4 successful a enactment the aforesaid week, including a treble bagel astatine the hands of China's Qinwen Zheng.

Last year, non-playing skipper Vishal Uppal shifted absorption towards the younker successful the singles department. Shrivalli Bhamidipaty, Sahaja Yamalapalli and Vaidehee Chaudhari.

Raina, meanwhile, became the designated doubles choice.That remained the taxable implicit the people of the ongoing week. Vaishnavi Adkar replaced the injured Bhamidipaty and Yamalapalli, Zeel Desai played the different singles rubbers.With backmost against the partition and successful a must-win position, Uppal reverted to his experienced erstwhile India No. 1. India had to bushed Korea 3-0 and needed Indonesia to bushed Thailand successful bid to suffice for the playoffs for a 2nd consecutive year.

The caller past gave India crushed to judge - they had won the past 2 meetings with Korea (2-1 successful 2024 and 2025). But, ne'er had India beaten Korea 3-0 successful the squad competition.That streak, unluckily for India's chances, continued connected Saturday. The Indian squad bushed Korea 2-1 portion the different necktie besides didn't spell their mode with Thailand edging Indonesia.As a result, India decorativeness 3rd - down Thailand and Indonesia - with lone the apical 2 progressing to the playoffs.If getting a beardown commencement was the request of the hour, things didn't spell arsenic planned with Raina going 0-4 down successful the archetypal acceptable having played a 20 constituent crippled on the way.Having conceded the archetypal set, Raina had the precocious manus successful the 2nd acceptable and led 5-3 to effort and unit a decider. However, the 342nd ranked Dayeon Back staged a stunning fightback to triumph 4 games successful a row, including 16 of the past 23 points."One was that (experience). Second was due to the fact that the courts are slow.

And the mode Dayeon Back plays, we needed idiosyncratic who could property her and get to the net," said Uppal."Also the portion of the strategy was to marque Vaishnavi spell up against Sohyun Park because, I mean, I've watched Park capable and I cognize to bushed her, we request to bring a small much firepower due to the fact that she runs down a batch of balls. That portion of the program was good.""Like I said, it's not astir today. We messed up connected time 1 (vs Thailand). So, I mean, look the thought against Korea astatine the commencement of the week besides was that we person to get to doubles, travel what may, due to the fact that I cognize our doubles squad is beauteous solid, beauteous good.""And we showed that with a dominating win. So I deliberation the strategy contiguous was to property due to the fact that we knew we had to effort and triumph 3-0 today. And, yeah, it didn't spell our way," helium accepted.With the archetypal singles lucifer lost, remainder of the necktie became a specified formality. But that meant small to the assemblage who occupied plentifulness of seats with the prima fading.The top-ranked Indian Vaishnavi Adkar and Sohyun Park gave the assemblage plentifulness to cheer successful their 2 hr and 20 infinitesimal contention which Adkar won 7-6, 7-6.In the last doubles, Raina teamed up with Rutuja Bhosale to down Back and Eunhye Lee 6-2, 6-2.