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India sneak through to knockout stage in Fed Cup
New Delhi, Apr 24: India sneaked through the backdoor to the knockout stage after beating Uzbekistan 2-1 in their final engagement of the fed cup women`s team tennis competition here.
New Delhi, Apr 24: India sneaked through the backdoor to the knockout stage after beating Uzbekistan 2-1 in their final engagement of the fed cup women's team tennis
competition here.
Second seeded Indonesia did the Indians a huge favour by beating the third seeds Korea 2-1 in the other match in Pool B of the Asia-Oceania Zone Group 1 tie at the R K Khanna
Stadium.
Indonesia and India finished first and second respectively with the former having won all their four ties while the hosts having three wins from four.
Indonesia take on pool a runners-up New Zealand while India face the top seeds Thailand in the knockouts today. The winners of both the match advance to the world group playoff while the losers remain in group 1.
For India, Sania Mirza and Manisha Malhotra scored a thrilling 7-6 (21/19) 6-1 win over Vlada Ekshibarova and Ivanna Isroilova in a rain interrupted doubles rubber.
Earlier, Sania had helped India level the scores 1-1 with her 6-4 6-2 defeat of a half fit Akgul Amanmuradova after Ankita
Bhambri saw her dream run come to an end with a 4-6 4-6 loss to Ivanna Isroilova in the singles matches.
At the start of day's play, India and Korea were level in terms of ties and matches won but the latter had more number of sets to their credit. In the end, the former advanced by virtue of head to head result.
The Koreans, who had lost to India 1-2, threatened to spoil the Indians' party with Jin-Hee Kim defeating Sandy Gumulya 6-3 6-3 in the first singles. But Wynne Prakusya wreaked out a 5-7 7-6 (7/2) 6-4 over Mi-Ra Jeon before she joined hands with Angelique Widjaja for a nerve-wracking 6-3 7-5 doubles win over Yoon-Jeong Cho and Kyung-Mi Chang late in the night.
The Indonesians were pleasantly surprised as the same crowd that had routed against them when they took on the Indians yesterday was backing them to the hilt.
Singapore and Kazakhstan topped group 2 to earn a promotion to Group 1.
On a rain curtailed day, Indonesia came from behind to beat India 2-1. After Ankita had overcome a two-hour and 1 5-minute interruption to beat Sandy Gumulya 6-4 6-4, Sania Mirza went down to Wynne Prakusya 5-7 4-6.
In the doubles rubber that finished well an hour past midnight, Prakusya and Angelique Widjaja subdued Sania and Manisha 7-6 (7/2) 6-3.
Against Isroilova, the past four days' energetic tennis she played seemed to take its toll on Ankita. She could hardly move around and struggled to put away easy winners.
Isroilova, who had won all her singles matches this week, broke the Delhi lass twice to take the first set. Ankita had three break points in the sixth game of the second set but failed to convert any of them.
Sania's play too was erratic as she let go 10 break points in the fifth game against Amanmuradova. The 6' 4" tall Uzbek, ranked 337, however was in excruciating pain from a stomach muscle injury throughout the match. She took a medical time out after the first set but that did not ease things for her.
The Uzbeks, who had gone out of reckoning after losing their previous three ties, had India's hopes swing tantalisingly in the doubles.
With Manisha nursing a shoulder strain and Sania having an off day, the Indians were finding it tough to hold serve. The 15-year old Ekshibarova teased them with her prodigious talent, repeatedly leaving them clay-footed with her fine top spin lobs.
The first set tiebreaker though turned out into a farce with either teams failing to convert the numerous set points that came their way. Adding to the drama was the rain that forced the play to be suspended with score at 16-16.
The interruption, however, proved a blessing in disguise as it allowed Manisha's serving shoulder some invaluable rest. On resumption, the Indians emerged stronger to take the set.
In the second, the Uzbeks held serve in the first game but after that it was all India's way.
Bureau Report
Indonesia and India finished first and second respectively with the former having won all their four ties while the hosts having three wins from four.
Indonesia take on pool a runners-up New Zealand while India face the top seeds Thailand in the knockouts today. The winners of both the match advance to the world group playoff while the losers remain in group 1.
For India, Sania Mirza and Manisha Malhotra scored a thrilling 7-6 (21/19) 6-1 win over Vlada Ekshibarova and Ivanna Isroilova in a rain interrupted doubles rubber.
Earlier, Sania had helped India level the scores 1-1 with her 6-4 6-2 defeat of a half fit Akgul Amanmuradova after Ankita
Bhambri saw her dream run come to an end with a 4-6 4-6 loss to Ivanna Isroilova in the singles matches.
At the start of day's play, India and Korea were level in terms of ties and matches won but the latter had more number of sets to their credit. In the end, the former advanced by virtue of head to head result.
The Koreans, who had lost to India 1-2, threatened to spoil the Indians' party with Jin-Hee Kim defeating Sandy Gumulya 6-3 6-3 in the first singles. But Wynne Prakusya wreaked out a 5-7 7-6 (7/2) 6-4 over Mi-Ra Jeon before she joined hands with Angelique Widjaja for a nerve-wracking 6-3 7-5 doubles win over Yoon-Jeong Cho and Kyung-Mi Chang late in the night.
The Indonesians were pleasantly surprised as the same crowd that had routed against them when they took on the Indians yesterday was backing them to the hilt.
Singapore and Kazakhstan topped group 2 to earn a promotion to Group 1.
On a rain curtailed day, Indonesia came from behind to beat India 2-1. After Ankita had overcome a two-hour and 1 5-minute interruption to beat Sandy Gumulya 6-4 6-4, Sania Mirza went down to Wynne Prakusya 5-7 4-6.
In the doubles rubber that finished well an hour past midnight, Prakusya and Angelique Widjaja subdued Sania and Manisha 7-6 (7/2) 6-3.
Against Isroilova, the past four days' energetic tennis she played seemed to take its toll on Ankita. She could hardly move around and struggled to put away easy winners.
Isroilova, who had won all her singles matches this week, broke the Delhi lass twice to take the first set. Ankita had three break points in the sixth game of the second set but failed to convert any of them.
Sania's play too was erratic as she let go 10 break points in the fifth game against Amanmuradova. The 6' 4" tall Uzbek, ranked 337, however was in excruciating pain from a stomach muscle injury throughout the match. She took a medical time out after the first set but that did not ease things for her.
The Uzbeks, who had gone out of reckoning after losing their previous three ties, had India's hopes swing tantalisingly in the doubles.
With Manisha nursing a shoulder strain and Sania having an off day, the Indians were finding it tough to hold serve. The 15-year old Ekshibarova teased them with her prodigious talent, repeatedly leaving them clay-footed with her fine top spin lobs.
The first set tiebreaker though turned out into a farce with either teams failing to convert the numerous set points that came their way. Adding to the drama was the rain that forced the play to be suspended with score at 16-16.
The interruption, however, proved a blessing in disguise as it allowed Manisha's serving shoulder some invaluable rest. On resumption, the Indians emerged stronger to take the set.
In the second, the Uzbeks held serve in the first game but after that it was all India's way.
Bureau Report