Thailand tops pool, RI keeps winning in Fed Cup
Thailand tops pool, RI keeps winning in Fed Cup
Associated Press New Delhi
Top-seeded Thailand topped its preliminary pool in the women's Fed Cup Asia-Pacific tennis qualifying competition, defeating fourth-ranked New Zealand 2-0 on Thursday after a four-hour interruption caused by a sandstorm and heavy rain.
Organizers extended the session past midnight to complete the evening's draw, making up for the delay caused by the season's first showers, but still had to reschedule the inconsequential Thailand-New Zealand doubles match for Friday evening.
Second-seeded Indonesia maintained its winning spree in Pool B, rallying from the loss of the opening singles to spike host India's challenge 2-1.
South Korea, ranked third, kept alive its chances of advancing to the semifinals by defeating Chinese Taipei 3-0 in another Pool B match.
Indonesia leads the pool standings with three consecutive wins, while South Korea and India both have two wins from three outings.
South Korea's 2-1 loss to India is causing it problems as it braces for its crucial pool encounter with Indonesia.
China stamped its authority against the Philippines with a 3-0 victory in another Pool A contest.
Thailand and New Zealand were both assured of semifinal spots in the Asia-Pacific Group 1 competition, which has two World Group playoff berths on offer.
Thailand reinforced its top billing with Suchanun Viratprasert defeating New Zealand's Marina Erakovic 7-5, 3-6, 9-7 in the opening singles and Tamarine Tanasugarn prevailing 6-3, 6-3 against Eden Marama.
The Viratprasert-Erakovic encounter was disrupted midway in the second set as a sandstorm halted play, forcing players to scamper to the dressing room before heavy rains lashed New Delhi's Khanna Tennis Stadium courts.
Host India was given a winning start by Ankita Bhambri, who prevailed 6-4, 6-4 over Sandy Gumulya of Indonesia in the rain- interrupted opening singles.
Bhambri was on match point versus Sandy Gumulya when the players were ordered off the court. She was serving on 40-30 while leading 5-4 in the second set at the interruption.
Two hours later, Bhambri came back to claim the point against Sandy before it began raining again.
The second singles tie between India's Sania Mirza and Indonesian Wynne Prakusya began after another two-hour break.
Wynne won it 7-5, 6-4 to set up a decisive doubles encounter, which the Indonesian pair of Wynne and Angelique Widjaja clinched 7-6 (2), 6-3 against Mirza and Manisha Malhotra.
India is still in the reckoning for a place in the semifinals, but awaits the fate of the Indonesia-South Korea showdown.
South Korea's Kim Jin-hee carved out a rapid 6-2, 6-0 victory over Hwang I-hsuan of Chinese Taipei before the sandstorm hit.
Jeon Mi-ra came on to the court after the break and secured South Korea a winning lead by wrapping up the second singles against Wang I-ting 6-2, 6-2.
Its doubles pair of Chang Kyung-mi and Cho Yoon-jeong completed the South Korean domination by prevailing 6-3, 7-6 (2) over Hwang I-hsuan and Wang I-ting.
Yang Shujing put China on the winning course with a 6-0, 6-0 blanking of Filipino Alyssa-Anne Labay. Hao Jie stretched the lead with a 6-1, 7-5 triumph over Czarina Mae Arevalo.
Yang and Yu Ying rounded off the margin with a 6-2, 6-1 victory in the doubles against Arevalo and Anna Patricia Santos.