Sahaja Yamalapalli and Shrivalli Bhamidipaty take heed to captain Vishal Uppal on the eve of the Asia-Oceania Billie Jean King Cup tennis in Pune, on Monday. | Picture: Kamesh Srinivasan
It will likely be a take a look at of fireplace for India to experience on dwelling benefit, and its collective energy as a crew, within the Asia-Oceania Billie Jean King Cup tennis championship to be performed on the Balewadi Stadium from Tuesday.
Greater than the high quality opponents from New Zealand, which has Wimbledon quarterfinalist Lulu Solar, Thailand, Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong, warmth may very well be a significant factor in testing the resilience of the Indian crew in its try and qualify for the subsequent stage.
Captain Vishal Uppal has completed very effectively to organize the crew of Ankita Raina, Sahaja Yamalapalli, Shrivalli Bhamidipaty, Vaidehi Chaudhari, Prarthana Thombare and the younger reserve Maaya Rajeshwaran.
India will probably be enjoying the opening match, within the spherical robin format, in opposition to New Zealand on Tuesday. Not like the Kiwi crew, which can rely closely on Lulu, India has three gamers ranked near the highest 300, who can pull their weight at any time when referred to as to serve the crew’s trigger.
Furthermore, India might have the trump card in doubles with the very good mixture of Ankita and Prarthana. Such crew combos are sometimes selected the energy of the doubles, and India may very well be second to none in that division.
In Shrivalli and Sahaja, the crew has two explosive gamers, who’re maturing effectively into all-round gamers, able to dealing with the problem from gamers of various model and craft. It shouldn’t be a shock if the 2 play an enormous function in taking the crew ahead.
The trick can be to play high quality in three rubbers day-after-day for 5 days, and unfold the load properly among the many gamers. The Indian crew is provided to do it, even within the powerful situations.
The host has completed a splendid job in getting the give attention to the occasion. Event Director Sunder Iyer ensured that the previous gamers like Manisha Malhotra, Sai Jayalakshmy, Shruti Dhawan, Janaki Krishnamoorthy amongst others had been invited for felicitation.
The truth is, because the secretary of Maharashtra State Garden Tennis Affiliation (MSLTA), Sunder has been eager to get extra ladies gamers concerned in operating the State affiliation.
Radhika Tulpule is the coach of the crew, and it could be recalled that former world No.1 and a number of Grand Slam champion Sania Mirza had received her first worldwide doubles title with Radhika. in Manila in 2002.
Time flies, and Indian ladies’s tennis has certainly come a good distance. The crew had certified for the play-off and competed effectively in opposition to Latvia a couple of seasons in the past. There will probably be no dearth of effort from the present crew to repeat the act..
Most significantly, Doordarshan was making all preparations for the ‘reside’ protection of the occasion.
Printed – April 07, 2025 08:04 pm IST
