Thailand, RI reach world playoffs<\/p>\n
Associated Press
\nNew Delhi<\/p>\n
Thailand and Indonesia advanced to the Fed Cup World Group
\nqualifying playoffs with contrasting victories in Saturday's
\nAsia-Pacific Zone Group 1 matches.<\/p>\n
Asia-Oceania Zone's top-seeded Thailand coasted to a 2-0
\nvictory against host India, while second-ranked Indonesia
\nsurvived some tense moments in the decisive doubles before
\nprevailing 2-1 against fourth-seeded New Zealand.<\/p>\n
The World Group qualifier playoffs will be played in July.<\/p>\n
Indonesia had made the World Cup qualifying round last year
\nalong with Japan.<\/p>\n
Japan went on to advance to the World Group for 2004, but
\nIndonesia reverted to Asia-Pacific Zone's Group 1.<\/p>\n
Marina Erakovic gave New Zealand a winning start by racing to
\na 6-2, 6-1 triumph against Wynne Prakusya in the first singles,
\nonly to see Indonesia's top player Angelique Widjaja level the
\nscores by defeating Shelley Stephens 6-0, 6-3.<\/p>\n
Widjaja, the 2002 junior Wimbledon champion, was playing a
\nsingles match for the first time in this tournament.<\/p>\n
In the decisive doubles encounter, the Widjaja-Prakusya pair
\nsurvived two match points in the 10th game of the second set
\nbefore winning 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-1 against Eden Marama and Paula
\nMarama.<\/p>\n
Thailand's No. 2 Suchanun Viratprasert held her nerve in the
\nfirst-set tiebreaker to prevail 7-6 (3), 6-1 against India No. 1
\nSania Mirza in the opening singles.<\/p>\n
Dropping her service in the fourth game of the first set,
\nMirza broke back in the 10th to force the issue into the
\ntiebreaker, where Viratprasert's superior court-craft proved
\ndecisive against her erratic opponent.<\/p>\n
Viratprasert faced no competition in the second set as Mirza
\nonly managed to hold service once - in the second game.<\/p>\n
Tamarine Tanasugarn, Thailand's No. 1 and winner of the WTA
\nTour's Indian Open last year, trounced Rushmi Chakravarthi 6-0,
\n6-1 to clinch one of the two World Group qualifying round spots
\nfrom this event.<\/p>\n
Chakravarthi's only point of the match came when she held
\nservice in the first game of the second set.<\/p>\n
With Thailand having secured a winning lead, the doubles match
\nwas abandoned.<\/p>\n
Uzbekistan and the Philippines drop down to Asia-Oceania
\nZone's Group 2 competition for 2005. Their places will be taken
\nby Kazakhstan and Singapore, who topped the five-team Group 2
\nleague competition.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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