Indonesia tops preliminary Fed Cup group

Indonesia tops preliminary Fed Cup group

Associated Press
New Delhi

Second-seeded Indonesia topped its preliminary pool in the
women's Fed Cup Asia-Pacific tennis competition, defeating third-
ranked South Korea 2-1 on Friday to complete its league play with
four straight wins.

Indonesia rallied after losing the opening singles to dash
South Korea's hopes of advancing to the knockout round as host
India took second place in Pool B standings.

Kim Jin-hee gave South Korea a winning start with a 6-3, 6-1
demolition of Sandy Gumulya in the first singles, but Indonesia's
Wynne Prakusya held her nerve to carve a 7-5, 6-7 (2), 6-4
triumph over Jeon Mi-ra.

Angelique Widjaja and Wynne Prakusya then sealed the
Indonesian victory, prevailing 6-3, 7-5 against Cho Yoon-jeong
and Chang Kyung-mi.

Down by a break at 4-5 in the second set, Widjaja and Prakusya
effected two breaks to claim three consecutive points and clinch
the match.

Pool B topper Indonesia will take on fourth-seeded New
Zealand, while India will meet Pool A topper and top-ranked
Thailand in the next round Saturday.

The winners of both of these matches will advance to the World
Group qualifying playoffs.

India also recovered from a defeat in its first singles
against Uzbekistan to prevail 2-1, but had to wait for the result
of the Indonesia-South Korea match to know if it would stay in
contention for a place in the World Group qualifying playoffs.

Uzbekistan's Ivanna Isroilova ended the winning streak of
India No. 2 Ankita Bhambri by prevailing 6-4, 6-4 in the opening
singles. Bhambri had giving India a winning start in all three
previous preliminary league matches, but faltered against the
deep-serving Isroilova.

Sania Mirza pulled India back with a 6-4, 6-2 triumph over
Akgul Amanmuradova to set up the decisive doubles.
Mirza paired up with Manisha Malhotra to clinch the doubles 7-6
(19), 6-1 against Isroilova and Vlada Ekshibarova, who wilted in
the second set after losing an intense tiebreaker in the first.

Last year, Japan and Indonesia made it to the World Group
qualifying playoffs from the Asia-Pacific Zone.

Japan went on to make the 2004 World Group, but Indonesia lost
the playoff and reverted back to Asia-Oceania Zone's Group 1.
South Korea paid a heavy cost for its 2-1 loss to India, but
remained in the fray until Friday.