Daijiworld Media Network
Pune, Apr 11: India's rising tennis star Vaidehi Chaudhary made a dream start to her Billie Jean King Cup 2025 Asia-Oceania Group 1 campaign, clinching a straight-sets victory in her debut match to help India secure a 2-1 win over Hong Kong on Day 3 of the tournament being held in Pune.
Vaidehi defeated Hong Kong's Ho Ching Wu 7-6, 6-1 in the opening singles match. While the first set was a tight affair that went down to the wire in a tense tie-breaker, which the Indian won 10-8, the second set saw a confident and commanding performance from the debutant.
“This feeling of winning in my first match was really nice,” Vaidehi said after the match. “The opponent was a little tricky. She was hitting very low balls which were difficult to return, especially at the start when I was struggling with the rhythm. But gradually, I just kept going and I took it one point at a time. The first set was difficult for me but the team helped me get through it."
India, playing on home soil thanks to the efforts of MSLTA in association with ITF, AITA and PMDTA, are looking to make the most of their familiar conditions. After a rocky start to their campaign with a loss to New Zealand, the team bounced back with impressive wins over Thailand and now Hong Kong.
“Everybody is very excited in the camp,” said Vaidehi, reflecting the upbeat mood in the Indian camp. “We have to go for the play-offs, so we are determined to win all of our matches."
She also acknowledged the key role played by veterans Ankita Raina and Prarthana Thombare in guiding the younger players in the squad. “They are very experienced and help us youngsters a lot. They share their thoughts and learnings with us which has helped us in performing well.”
Vaidehi further credited India’s strong showing to the leadership of team captain Vishal Uppal and coach Radhika Kanitkar Tulpule, saying their holistic approach has been vital. “Both of them are very encouraging. Vishal sir is putting in a lot of effort and supporting us in many ways. Apart from coaching and helping us improve our game, he is also training us to be strong mentally which is crucial in big tournaments like this,” she added.
With momentum on their side and a strong team spirit, India now set their sights on the play-offs, eyeing qualification to the next stage of the prestigious tournament.