Ankita Raina (Photo: DLTA) NEW DELHI: Speaking to the Indian team ahead of the Billie Jean King Cup Asia/Oceania Group 1 match in New Delhi, Ankita Raina categorically pointed out that she is not done playing singles. She was right. The 33-year-old only played at the W15 in Nagpur on March 23. However, her last foray in national colors was two years ago and the last victory came on 9 April 2024. After a comfortable victory in the same week, she lost four straight, including a double bagel at the hands of China’s Qinwen Zheng.
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India’s BJK Cup team on tour loneliness, street food and social media abuseLast year, non-playing captain Vishal Uppal targeted the youth in the singles department. Shrivalli Bhamidipaty, Sahaja Yamalapalli and Vaidehee Chaudhari. Meanwhile, Raina has become the designated choice for the doubles.This remained a theme throughout the ongoing week. Vaishnavi Adkar replaced the injured Bhamidipaty and Yamalapalli, Zeel Desai played the other singles rubbers.With their backs against the wall and in a must-win position, Uppal returned to his experienced former India No. 1. India needed to beat Korea 3-0 and needed Indonesia to beat Thailand to qualify for the play-offs for the second year in a row.Recent history has given India reason to believe – they have won the last two matches against Korea (2-1 in 2024 and 2025). But India have never beaten Korea 3-0 in the team event.This streak, unfortunately for India’s chances, continued on Saturday. The Indian team defeated Korea 2-1, while the second draw also did not go their way with Thailand and Indonesia.As a result, India finished third – behind Thailand and Indonesia – and only the top two qualified for the play-offs.If a good start was needed at this hour, things didn’t go as planned as Raina trailed 0-4 in the first set, playing a 20-point game.After conceding the first set, Raina dominated the second set, leading 5-3 to try to decide. However, Dayeon Back, ranked 342, put up a stunning fight and won four straight games, including 16 of the last 23 points.“One was it (experience). Two, because the courts are slow. And the way Dayeon Back plays, we needed someone who could push her and get to the net,” Uppal said.“Part of the strategy was also to make Vaishnavi go against Sohyun Park because, I think, I’ve watched enough of Park and I know I’m going to beat her, we have to bring a little more firepower because she launches a lot of balls. That part of the plan was good.”“Like I said, it’s not about today. We messed up on the first day (vs. Thailand). So, I think the thought against Korea earlier in the week was that we have to get to the doubles no matter what, because I know our doubles team is pretty solid, pretty good.”“And we showed it with a commanding victory. So I think the strategy today was to push because we knew we had to try to win 3-0 today. And yes, we didn’t,” he admitted.After losing the first singles game, the rest of the tie became a mere formality. But that meant little to the throngs of people who took up plenty of seats with the setting sun.Top-ranked Indian Vaishnavi Adkar and Sohyun Park gave the crowd plenty to cheer about in their two-hour and 20-minute contest, which Adkar won 7-6, 7-6.In the final doubles, Raina teamed up with Rutuja Bhosale to defeat Back and Eunhye Lee 6-2, 6-2.
