India relegated to Fed Cup Asia/Oceania Group II

India's bad run in the Federation Cup Asia/Oceania Zone continued as they faced their third consecutive defeat of the tournament, resulting a relegation to Fed Cup Asia/Oceania Group II, after top seed Australia gave them a thrashing of 3-0 in the third and final Group I match here on Friday.

India rightly missed the services of wonder girl Sania Mirza after losing out successively to Indonesia and New Zealand. Isha Lakhani lost the opening encounter for the Indians after starting the proceedings quite well by clinching the first set against her opponent Jessica Moore.

Despite being one set down, Moore fought back hard to register a comprehensive 6-3, 4-6, 1-6 victory against Lakhani. The Indian literally succumbed to her opponent’s pressure as she easily gave up the match without showing much resistance.

The US-based player Sunitha Rao lost to Casey Dellacqua in straight sets 3-6, 5-7. Sunitha gave some tough time to Dellacqua in the second set but the Australian settled it in her favour at the end.

After sealing the issue 2-0 in their favour, the doubles tie became an inconsequential rubber but the top seeds gave no inch to Indians as Dellacqua once again combining well with Rennae Stubbs defeated the pair of Sunitha and Shikha Uberoi 7-6 (2), 6-0 to finish off the proceedings.

In the other group matches Taiwan thrashed Thailand 3-0, New Zealand blanked Indonesia 3-0 while Uzbekistan defeated Hong Kong 2-1.

RESULTS

Group I: (Taiwan bt Thailand 3-0) Hsieh Su-wei bt Nudnida Luangnam 6-4, 2-6, 6-2; Chan Yung-jan bt Tamarine Tanasugarn 6-4, 2-6, 6-1; Chan Yung-jan & Chuang Chia-jung bt Napaporn Tongsalee & Suchanun Viratprasert 6-3, 6-0.

(Australia 3 India 0) Jessica Moore bt Isha Lakhani 3-6, 6-4, 6-1; Casey Dellacqua bt Sunitha Rao 6-3, 7-5; Dellacqua & Rennae Stubbs bt Sunitha Rao & Shikha Uberoi 7-6(2), 6-0.

(New Zealand bt Indonesia 3-0) Sacha Jones bt Ayu Fani Damayanti 6-4, 7-5; Marina Erakovic bt Sandy Gumulya 6-3, 6-1; Marina Erakovic & Leanne Baker bt Lavinia Tananta & Vivien Silfany 6-2, 6-0.

(Uzbekistan bt Hong Kong 2-1) Albina Khabibulina bt Lam Po-kuen 6-0, 6-2; Vlada Ekshbarova lost to Zhang Ling 6-3, 6-4; Iroda Tulyaganova & Akgul Amanmuradova bt Yang Zi-jun & Zhang Ling 6-2, 6-0.

Group II: (South Korea bt Philippines 2-1) Lee Jin-A bt Czarina Mae Arevalo 6-3, 6-0; Lee Ye-Ra bt Denise Dy 6-3, 6-2; Kim So-Jung & Yu Min-Hwa lost to Denise Dy & Dianne Kenneth Matias 6-1, 6-3.

(Kazakhstan bt Singapore 3-0) Madina Rakhim bt Vanessa Boey 6-0, 6-1; Amina Rakhim bt Stefanie Tan 6-3, 6-2; Valentina Starkova & Tatyana Ignatchenko bt Wei Lim & Hui Lim 6-0, 6-2.

(Turkmenistan bt Sri Lanka 2-1) Ummarahmat Alisultanova lost to Jithmie Jayawickrema 6-0, 6-2; Anastasiya Prenko bt Amreetha Muttiah 6-0, 6-4; Anastasiya Prenko & Jenneta Halliyeva bt Jithmie Jayawickrema & Mahesha Seneviratne 6-2, 6-4.

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