India made a strong comeback in the Billie Jean King Cup Asia/Oceania Group I tie, securing a convincing 3-0 victory over New Zealand on Wednesday. This win followed their previous 1-2 loss to Thailand, showcasing a notable improvement from the team, especially as New Zealand was without their top player, Lulu Sun.
Vaishnavi Adkar, competing in her second match, delivered an impressive performance against Aishi Das, winning 6-2, 6-4 in just 90 minutes. Vaishnavi capitalized on Das’s early mistakes, recovering from a 15-40 situation to take the first break and lead 2-0. She maintained her composure throughout, even after Das managed to break back, sealing the first set with an ace.
In the second set, although it was closely contested with Das tying it at 4-4, Vaishnavi quickly regained control, breaking again to finish the match. Reflecting on her performance, Vaishnavi acknowledged her nerves in her first Billie Jean King Cup match but felt more confident this time, focusing on playing her best.
Sahaja Yamalapalli followed up by clinching the tie with a dominant 6-1, 6-3 victory over Valentina Ivanov. She was aggressive from the start, breaking serve early and maintaining the pressure. Despite briefly losing her serve in the second set, Sahaja quickly broke back and secured the match without much trouble.
After the matches, Sahaja expressed her happiness with the win, noting the disappointing outcome against Thailand. She emphasized the importance of improving strategies and supporting each other as a team.
In the doubles match, Rutuja Bhosale and Ankita Raina rounded off the day with a 6-4, 6-2 win against Erin Routliffe and Monique Barry, completing India’s clean sweep.
This win marks a successful turnaround for India, who now look to build on this momentum in the ongoing Group I ties.
