Thailand, RI reach world playoffs

Thailand, RI reach world playoffs

Associated Press
New Delhi

Thailand and Indonesia advanced to the Fed Cup World Group
qualifying playoffs with contrasting victories in Saturday's
Asia-Pacific Zone Group 1 matches.

Asia-Oceania Zone's top-seeded Thailand coasted to a 2-0
victory against host India, while second-ranked Indonesia
survived some tense moments in the decisive doubles before
prevailing 2-1 against fourth-seeded New Zealand.

The World Group qualifier playoffs will be played in July.

Indonesia had made the World Cup qualifying round last year
along with Japan.

Japan went on to advance to the World Group for 2004, but
Indonesia reverted to Asia-Pacific Zone's Group 1.

Marina Erakovic gave New Zealand a winning start by racing to
a 6-2, 6-1 triumph against Wynne Prakusya in the first singles,
only to see Indonesia's top player Angelique Widjaja level the
scores by defeating Shelley Stephens 6-0, 6-3.

Widjaja, the 2002 junior Wimbledon champion, was playing a
singles match for the first time in this tournament.

In the decisive doubles encounter, the Widjaja-Prakusya pair
survived two match points in the 10th game of the second set
before winning 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-1 against Eden Marama and Paula
Marama.

Thailand's No. 2 Suchanun Viratprasert held her nerve in the
first-set tiebreaker to prevail 7-6 (3), 6-1 against India No. 1
Sania Mirza in the opening singles.

Dropping her service in the fourth game of the first set,
Mirza broke back in the 10th to force the issue into the
tiebreaker, where Viratprasert's superior court-craft proved
decisive against her erratic opponent.

Viratprasert faced no competition in the second set as Mirza
only managed to hold service once - in the second game.

Tamarine Tanasugarn, Thailand's No. 1 and winner of the WTA
Tour's Indian Open last year, trounced Rushmi Chakravarthi 6-0,
6-1 to clinch one of the two World Group qualifying round spots
from this event.

Chakravarthi's only point of the match came when she held
service in the first game of the second set.

With Thailand having secured a winning lead, the doubles match
was abandoned.

Uzbekistan and the Philippines drop down to Asia-Oceania
Zone's Group 2 competition for 2005. Their places will be taken
by Kazakhstan and Singapore, who topped the five-team Group 2
league competition.