Ankita Raina and Karman Kaur Thandi won their doubles match to help India pip Thailand 2-1 in the Fed Cup Asia-Oceania group-1 tournament in Astana on Thursday.
India were 0-1 down after Thandi lost her singles match – the first one of the tie – to Nudnida Luangnam 2-6, 6-3, 3-6. Thandi’s loss would have shocked the Indian team as her opponent is ranked 500 places lower.
Raina’s fighting 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-4 win over Peangtarn Plipuech kept India alive in the tie. After losing a nervy tiebreaker, she regained her poise to thump Plipuech in the second and third sets.
Then, she combined with Thandi to clinch a humdinger in over two-and-a-half hours. The Indian pair missed two match points at 6-4 in the second set tie-break, after it had trailed 1-5 in that set. But Raina and Thandi bounced back from 3-5 in the decider, winning the last two games at love to seal the victory.
Results
India beat Thailand 2-1 (Karman Kaur Thandi lost to Nudnida Luangnam 2-6, 6-3, 3-6; Ankita Raina beat Peangtarn Plipuech 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-4; Ankita Raina & Karman Kaur Thandi beat Nudnida Luangnam & Peangtarn Plipuech 6-4, 6-7(6), 7-5.)