Girls put India on track
Hosts lose two in a row but bounce back in Junior Fed Cup tennis tourney
With back-to-back losses against Chinese Taipei and Uzbekistan respectively India’s Under 16 girls finally managed to open their account against Pacific Oceania in the Asia Oceania Junior Federation Cup being played at the DLTA Complex in New Delhi.
In the first singles match against Pacific Oceania, India’s Salsa Parag Aher was in full swing from the word go and turned the tables on her opponent, Naia Guitton, by brushing her aside with a thumping 6-1, 61 win.
However, the visitors were not ready to give-up easily and the second singles match between Carol Young Shu Lee and Shaik Humera was more of a bad dream for the hosts as the latter was defeated 6-1, 6-2 to level the match tally between both the teams at one each.
The deciding rubber in the doubles category saw some good contest between India’s Salsa & Humera and Pacific Oceania’s Naia & Carol. The hosts fought well to take the first set at 6-4 though.
In the second set Salsa and Humera doubled their efforts and didn’t allow an inch to the visitors as they captured it at ease and thereby sealed the tie for India. The match scoreline read 6-4, 6-0.
India are now at the third spot with one point out of three matches behind Chinese Taipei (3 points) and Uzbekistan (2 points).
Earlier in the tie against Uzbekistan, India lost 1-2 as Shaik Humera was the only one to clinch a victory in the singles rubber against Yasmina Karimjanova with a 6-4, 7-6 (6) scoreline.
In the other singles match, Salsa was trailing by 4-6, 0-3 before she retired hurt against Milana Maslenkova.
The Indian doubles duo comprising Humera and local girl Y. Sai Dedeepya couldn’t do much as they also faced the disappointment against the visiting duo of Yasmina and Milana with the scores reading 6-4, 6-1 in the visitors’ favour.
Indian’s first outing in this tourney against Chinese Taipei also began on a losing note, with a 1-2 score.
Humera once again led the proceedings from the front by beating Kuan Yi Lee 6-2, 6-2. However, Salsa lost her singles match to Joanna Jessie Garland 3-6, 2-6. The visiting doubles duo of Joanna & Kuan then beat India’s Salsa and Humera 6-2, 6-1.
THE RESULTS
India bt Pacific Oceania 2-1 (Salsa Parag Aher bt Naia Guitton 6-1, 6-1; Shaik Humera lost to Carol Young Shu Lee 1-6, 2-6; Salsa Parag Aher/ Shaik Humera bt Naia Guitton/ Carol Young Shu Lee 6-4, 6-0).
India lost to Uzbekistan 1-2 (Salsa Parag Aher 4-6, 0-3 retired hurt against Milana Maslenkova; Shaik Humera bt Yasmina Karimjanova 6-4, 7-6(6); Shaik Humera/ Y. Sai Dedeepya lost to Yasmina Karimjanova/ Milana Maslenkova; 4-6, 1-6).
India lost to Chinese Taipei 1-2 (Salsa Parag Aher lost to Joanna Jessie Garland 3-6, 2-6; Shaik Humera bt Kuan Yi Lee 6-2, 6-2; Salsa Parag Aher/ Humera lost to Joanna Jessie Garland/ Kuan Yi Lee 2-6, 1-6).