From Maaya to Raina: Indian girls’s tennis takes a step ahead

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Mumbai: On centre courtroom on the Balewadi Tennis Stadium in Pune, Vaidehi Chaudhari and Shrivalli Bhamidipaty performed a couple of follow factors. Behind them, Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi and Sahaja Yamalapalli collected stray tennis balls and handed it again to them. After a couple of factors, the quartet rotated. In the meantime on the sidelines, Ankita Raina and Prarthana Thombare started their warmup routines.

Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi (L) and Shrivalli Bhamidipaty (R) will function within the Billie Jean King Cup in Pune this week. (MSLTA)

All wearing an identical blue t-shirts and matching stony expressions, assembled in Pune was this comparatively inexperienced group of Indian girls tennis gamers for the Billie Jean King Cup. In a sport recognized for its individuality, they have been prizing these moments collectively and have been seeking to do no matter they may to assist one another. Collectively, they carry a heavy weight of expectation.

For years, the Indian girls’s workforce has struggled to sew collectively the wins wanted to get to a stage above the Asia/Oceania Group 1 class in a contest dubbed the World Cup of tennis. The furthest they’ve gotten was taking part in within the playoffs in 2021.

In Pune, nevertheless, the workforce current might not have lots of expertise of taking part in for the nation, however it’s a squad brimming with expertise. This week they’ve an opportunity to make the playoffs once more, however workforce captain Vishal Uppal has given the squad an even bigger goal.

“We’re not just trying to qualify for the playoffs, we’re also trying to make a statement that women’s tennis is on the rise in India,” he mentioned to HT. “And that Indian women’s tennis has to be looked at more seriously. That is the larger goal, making that statement.”

Ranging from April 8, India will compete in best-of-three match ties in opposition to New Zealand, Chinese language Taipei, Hong Kong, South Korea and Thailand in a spherical robin format with the highest two groups transferring into the playoffs. India has house benefit this week.

And with Asian powerhouses China and Japan not competing (each groups are taking part in in higher tiers of the occasion), it is a good alternative for the hosts to take a step up the ladder.

In Ankita Raina, the world No.304 and India No.1, the workforce has its most skilled member. Raina, now 32, is the one surviving member of the Class of 2021. A singles bronze medallist on the 2018 Asian Video games, she is a grinder who by no means shies away from a slugfest.

The second oldest participant within the workforce is doubles specialist Prarthana Thombare, 30, who had competed on the 2016 Rio Olympics and lately reached the ultimate of the WTA125 occasion in Mumbai.

Then there may be the youthful guard.

In 24-year-old Sahaja and Shrivalli (a yr youthful), the workforce has two gamers who hit arduous from the baseline, transfer properly and play an aggressive model of tennis. So too does Chaudhari, the two-time nationwide champion. Ready within the wings is 15-year-old Maaya, who surprised the sphere by reaching the semi-final in Mumbai – that too as an unranked participant. A pupil on the Rafael Nadal Academy in Mallorca, {the teenager} from Tamil Nadu packs a punch with practiced bravado.

Individually, the gamers have taken contrasting journeys, however collectively they provide India a beforehand unseen depth in singles.

“I’m pretty confident in this group,” Uppal mentioned. “We have a lot more options and depth in singles, which wasn’t the case in the past. It’s tough to compare the different squads, but this is a good combination of youth and experience. The youth has to really show that they are hungry and they belong at this level.”

Uppal, a former Davis Cup participant for India, claimed his solely fear is the consistency of the gamers.

“It’s a question of us preparing well and executing our plans on the day,” he added. “I’d love to see a lot more consistency in the performance. They have shown that they can step up.”

On Tuesday, they may have their sport faces on, as they tackle New Zealand of their first tie of their pursuit of the playoffs.