BJK Cup: India show rare grit to shock top-ranked New Zealand

NEW DELHI: Shrugging off an early setback against Thailand, India produced a stirring comeback to blank New Zealand 3-0 and keep their World Group playoff hopes alive at the Billie Jean King (BJK) Cup Asia/Oceania Group I tie here.

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Wednesday began under pressure for the hosts. Resuming their rain-hit tie against Thailand, India needed a spark but fell short in the decisive singles. Sahaja Yamlapalli, after an impressive recovery from a set down, lost a hard-fought battle 4-6, 6-1, 4-6 to Patcharin Cheapchandej in over two hours. Though the tie was already decided, Ankita Raina and Rutuja Bhosale salvaged some pride with a 6-3, 6-4 doubles win against Thasaporn Naklo and Peangtarn Plipuech, closing the contest on a positive note.




Barely within a couple of hours, India returned to the court for the crucial clash against fancied New Zealand. And this time, they delivered.

Debutant Vaishnavi Adkar set the tone with a composed 6-2, 6-4 victory over Aishi Das. Showing marked improvement from her previous outing, Vaishnavi cut down on unforced errors and played with clarity under pressure.

“It was a lesson learned. It was my first match playing in the BJK Cup,” she admitted later, reflecting on handling nerves better in her second appearance. Vaishnavi started strong, dictated rallies with controlled aggression, and held her nerve in a tense finish after Aishi mounted a late comeback. Sahaja, displaying remarkable resilience despite her morning defeat, returned to dominate Valentina Ivanov 6-1, 6-3.

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