India Beat New Zealand at BJK Cup — Vaishnavi and Sahaja Both Deliver
Vaishnavi, Sahaja Both Win as India Beat New Zealand at BJK Cup
One loss doesn’t finish you. India remembered that on April 8.
After a tough opening day against Thailand, the home side turned it around against New Zealand at DLTA Stadium in New Delhi — Vaishnavi Adkar and Sahaja Yamalapalli each winning their singles matches to seal the tie for India in the Billie Jean King Cup Asia/Oceania Group I.
Twenty-one-year-old Vaishnavi had taken a 6-1, 6-3 beating on debut against Thailand’s Anchisa Chanta. That stung. This win — her first at BJK Cup level — was the answer.
Sahaja is India No. 1. She played like it. With both singles won, the tie was done.
“Playing at home is always special,” she had said before the week began. DLTA gave her a reason to mean it.
Six teams in this group. Top two go through to the World Group Play-offs. India have been there twice in six years — after a 42-year drought before 2020. They’re not done chasing a third.