Tough matches will allow Indian players to draw positives from their performances

The Indian women’s tennis team at the BJK Cup (Asia/Oceania Group) last week featured a mix of seasoned campaigners and new faces. They failed to qualify for the playoffs but retained their position in the group. After a disappointing start where they lost to Thailand on the first day, India bounced back well and won some tough matches. The experience will serve as valuable preparation for the Asian Games later this year.

There were several positives, including Ankita Raina and Rutuja Bhosale’s doubles combination, which delivered some solid performances. They had impressive wins against New Zealand, Korea, and Thailand, and went down fighting to Indonesia. Some of the Asian teams here are likely to be their opponents at the Asian Games as well. Young Vaishnavi Adkar started slowly but grew into the tournament as the week progressed and pulled off a gutsy win against higher-ranked Korean Sohyun Park, setting up India’s strong victory over South Korea on the final day.

India captain Vishal Uppal said the players need to learn from the experience as they prepare for Asian Games.

“We have to start figuring out what to do, not just for the Asian Games but also for next year,” said BJK Cup captain Vishal Uppal. “I think the players have a lot of potential. I’d love for them to improve their mentality and understand that once you’re out on the court, you have to roar like a lioness.

“Going forward, it will be important how they develop their mentality and improve their physicality, because that is what it takes to reach the top level. After Bengaluru (last year’s BJK Cup), I had also said the reason we lost to Slovenia and the Netherlands (in the playoffs) was due to a lack of maturity and athleticism. If these aspects can be improved,” Uppal added.

India faced injury concerns ahead of the tie, with Shrivalli Bhamidipaty pulling out due to injury. Zeel Desai was brought in at the last minute. The team comprised Ankita, Rutuja, Adkar, Sahaja Yamalapalli, and Zeel.

“We’ll come back stronger. I think the girls are only going to improve and grow in their journey. I’ll be on the sidelines, watching and monitoring everyone, and seeing how I can contribute to their journey,” said Uppal.

In the previous edition of the Asian Games, India won two medals, with Rutuja and Rohan Bopanna securing gold in mixed doubles.

EOM