Billie Jean King Cup: India defeat New Zealand 2-1, avoid relegation

The Indian women's tennis team defeated New Zealand 2-1 in their fourth Billie Jean King Cup 2022 Asia/Oceania Group I tie in Antalya, Turkey on Friday.

With this win, the Indian team avoided relegation to Group II for next year's Billie Jean King Cup.

India's No.1 player in women's singles Ankita Raina and Rutuja Bhosale won their respective singles matches but the doubles pair of Riya Bhatia and Sowjanya Bavisetti lost their match on the clay courts of the MTA Tennis Academy.

India will play their final tie against South Korea on Saturday but with back-to-back wins against Indonesia and New Zealand, they are assured of a third or fourth finish in the pool of six teams. The Indian women's tennis team had lost to Japan and China in its opening two fixtures.

Rutuja Bhosale, ranked 477 in the world, played the opening singles match against world No. 1342 Valentina Ivanov. The Indian tennis player defeated Valentina by 6-1, 7(7)-6(3) in one hour and 20 minutes.

Ankita Raina ranked 319, defeated Kiwi No. 1, Paige Hourigan 7-5, 6-3. The match lasted one hour and 34 minutes.

The Indian women's doubles team of Sowjanya Bavisetti and Riya Bhatia, however, faltered once again and lost the dead rubber to Paige Hourigan and Erin Routliffe 6-2, 6-0 in one hour and 3 minutes.

( With inputs from ANI )

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