Billie Jean King Cup (previously Fed Cup) - India

[Sravanthi]

Yes

[jayakris]

Whoa, so nice to see you here. Your first post in some 9 years! (For others who may not know, Sravanthi was one of the earliest members here, since 2005).... How appropriate to see you here when our ladies made history.

[gbelday]

A huge congratulations! Really impressed with Rutuja’s fighting spirit and of course Sania. Hopefully Karman is back and it should give us more options!

[sameerph]

Unfortunately, this tournament got delayed after the date the draw was to be made for world group playoffs in Feb.So, ITF decided to keep 2 slots vacent against Netherlands/Latvia. But awarded the hosting of those matches to Netherlands/Latvia so that the venues can be prepared in time for matches in April.

So, it will be an away tie for us.

[jayakris]

Two top-100 players each for Netherlands (#6 Bertens and #76 Rus) and Latvia (#41 Ostapenko and #43 Sevastova), though the #3 players are all below #160 for either. It will be a Herculean task to get past either team.

[PKBasu]

What a fantastic performance by the Indian girls. Ankita has been amazing all week: ill and vomiting almost every match, but nonetheless turning up to win the crucial doubles every time. That she had one of the greatest women’s doubles players of our times as partner helped enormously of course. Congratulations to Sania and Ankita, and to the doughty Rutuja Bhonsle for her many astonishing singles wins during the week. World Group, here we come!!

[PKBasu]

I saw Ankita beat Arantxa Rus in the final of the Singapore ITF in January last year. So if it’s Netherlands, I wouldnt write off our chances, even away! (Although I recognise that Ankita may not get to play their number 2, Rus).

[Sin Hombre]

Congrats to the Indian girls!

Big fan of Ankita, she is the grittiest Indian athlete and unfortunately hardly known.

[jayakris]

Big fan of Ankita, she is the grittiest Indian athlete and unfortunately hardly known.

That's why I was so glad to see a number of articles come up in Indian newspapers today, giving credit to Ankita in the titles itself.

[Atithee]

That’s why I voted for her (Ankita) in the poll that ssp ran. She’s amazing.

[jayakris]

ITF's article - China and India Reach Fed Cup Playoffs

It confirms that India will play in Latvia next month.

[RohitG]

Govt must include singles players too in TOPS. If there's anybody who deserves it right now, it's her. Probably even ahead of the male players

[sameerph]

Tops is designed for potential medalists at olympics or Asian games. Unfortunately, our womens singles players are not there as of now.

Yes, it is Latvia in Latvia on 17-18 April. I thought it would be on clay. But, just checked and last April Latvia played against Germany at home on indoor hard courts and lost 1-3.

So, it may be on hard courts. It will be best of 5 matches, 4 singles and 1 doubles over 2 days.

[suresh]

I totally agree with Sin Hombre that Ankita is our grittiest player. Rutuja appears to be a close second. I have a gut feeling that this event will spur Rutuja, in particular, and Ankita to perform better on the regular tour. I am also hoping that something similar will happen to RamK.

[PKBasu]

Ankita is a doughty player, and I voted for her as our best player for 2019 on account of her win over the former US Open champion and FO runner-up Sam Stosur, among many fine wins last year.

But Indonesia was a relatively straight-forward win for us. Aldila Sutjiadi, their number 1, is ranked 370 in singles (CH: 347) and 168 in doubles.

The World Group playoffs will be a lot tougher. But hopefully Karman will be fit by then, and Ankita will gain more confidence in the intervening month.