Vaishnavi, Sahaja lose as Indonesia take unassailable 2-0 lead over India
New Delhi: Vaishnavi Adkar’s gallant fight ended with a heartbreaking loss, while Sahaja Yamalapalli was outplayed by world No. 41 Janice Tjen as India conceded an unassailable
0-2 lead to Indonesia in their third match of the Asia/Oceania Group I tie of 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.
Doubles pair of Ankita Raina and Rutuja Bhosale will now face Janice and Aldila Sutjiadi in the third match of the tie.
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.
