New Delhi, Apr 9 (PTI) Vaishnavi Adkar’s gallant fight ended with a heartbreaking loss, while Sahaja Yamalapalli was outplayed by world No. 41 Janice Tjen as India went down 0-3 to Indonesia in their third match of the Asia/Oceania Group I tie to jeopardise their playoff chances at the Billie Jean King Cup here on Thursday.
The 21-year-old Vaishnavi, ranked 391 in the world, played her heart out but couldn’t get past Priska Madelyn Nugroho, ranked 419, going down 7-6 (3) 6-7 (3) 3-6 in the first singles in three hours and six minutes at the DLTA stadium.
It was always going to be a difficult task for Sahaja to beat Janice as she went down 2-6 1-6 to the star Indonesian in the second singles.
In doubles, Ankita Raina and Rutuja Bhosale put up a fight before going down 3-6 6-7 (4) against Janice Tjen and Aldila Sutjiadi, the 2022 Asian Games bronze medallists, as Indonesia completed a 3-0 drubbing.
India had registered a 3-0 win over New Zealand after suffering a 1-2 loss against Thailand in their first tie on Wednesday.
Vaishnavi vs Priska ============ Vaishnavi produced a gritty, high-quality performance to take the opening set in a contest marked by frequent momentum swings, long baseline exchanges and multiple service breaks. She showed intent at the net and mixed her game well, using aggressive forehands to stay competitive.
However, she struggled to consolidate early advantages. Despite leading 40-15 in the opening game, she dropped serve as Priska countered with sharp winners. Trailing 0-2, Vaishnavi broke back in the fourth game to level at 2-2.
A series of breaks followed, with neither player able to dominate for long. Inconsistent shot selection and unforced errors from the Indian allowed Priska to move ahead 5-3. Vaishnavi, however, responded under pressure, saving a set point and forcing a tie-break, which she won 7-3 with improved control and shot-making.
The second set saw Vaishnavi start poorly, falling 0-2 after an early break. She recovered to level at 2-2 and later moved ahead with aggressive play, including a series of strong forehand winners.
Priska briefly took a medical timeout while trailing 2-3 but returned to level at 4-4 after breaking back. Vaishnavi again edged ahead and served for the match at 5-4 but failed to close it out. The set eventually went into a tie-break, where Priska raised her level to draw parity.
In the decider, the Indian raced to a 2-0 lead before Priska clawed back, breaking twice to go 4-2 up. Despite signs of physical discomfort, the Indonesian maintained composure, using precise placement and effective net play.
Both players held serve to 5-3 before Priska sealed the match by breaking Vaishnavi in the final game.
“I think, pretty tough match today, very long one. Obviously, it didn’t go our way. Yeah, definitely disappointing to not get the win,” Vaishnavi told reporters later.
“The important thing was to just keep fighting till the very last point. And I think I put up a pretty good fight, though it didn’t go my way. So proud of the efforts.” Sahaja vs Janice =========== Sahaja showed early resistance, saving two break points before Janice produced a superb down-the-line winner to secure the break.
The Indonesian, who won the Chennai Open last year, handed the advantage back with a double fault and a long return as Sahaja capitalised to level at 1-1.
The Indian again came under pressure in the third game, conceding three break points. Though she saved two, Janice broke to go 2-1 up and soon took control with a mix of rasping forehands and deep slices.
A comfortable hold extended the lead to 3-1.
Sahaja struggled to match Janice’s pace and power but managed to hold serve once as her opponent miscued a couple of shots. Janice, however, remained dominant and surged to 5-2 before sealing the opening set with successive overhead winners.
The second set followed a similar pattern, with Sahaja’s errors allowing Janice to break early and move 2-0 ahead. Although Sahaja held once to reduce the margin, Janice continued to dictate play with strong serves and aggressive returns.
The Indonesian raced to 5-1 after another break and wrapped up the contest after breaking the Indian again with a forehand winner, sealing a comprehensive victory.
Korea and Indonesia are currently at the top of the table with three wins each, followed by Thailand and India.
Only the top two teams will progress to the play-off, while the bottom two sides will be relegated to Group II for 2027. PTI ATK PDS PDS
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