Riya Bhatia is on a comeback trail after recovering from a golfer’s elbow and is showing good promise.
Credit: DH Photo
Bengaluru: Deemed underdogs despite being the hosts at the ongoing Billie Jean King Cup Group G playoffs here, India’s Blue-clad contingent finds itself under scrutiny as many wonder whether they can upset heavyweights Slovenia and the Netherlands within a span of 24 hours this weekend.
That concern only grows when stacked against the rankings. Both European teams boast players far higher than any Indian in the fray, including national No. 1 Sahaja Yamalapalli (309). It almost prompts the question of whether India truly belongs at this level, especially with next year’s Qualifiers for the Finals on the line. After all, this is only the second time India has reached this stage.
India’s No. 3 Riya Bhatia, currently ranked 468 in the world, is quick to remind everyone that the team has earned its place.
“Let’s not forget India reached here by finishing runners-up in the Asia/Oceania Group I in Pune (last April),” Riya told DH. “The team defeated the likes of Hong Kong, South Korea and Thailand to qualify on merit for the stage. You can only count us out at your peril.”
The challenge ahead, however, is immense. Facing players such as Suzan Lamens of the Netherlands (87) and 2021 French Open semifinalist Tamara Zidansek is a tall order for an Indian side that also fell at this stage against Latvia in 2021. While the format has changed since, the presence of two strong European opponents only sharpens the difficulty. Yet, the 28-year-old Bhatia refuses to be bogged down by the numbers, even though only four Indians in the lineup are inside the top 500.
“First of all, I don’t believe that ranking matters in team events. Rankings are also the reason why we are seen as the underdogs but Indian players are much better than the ranking suggests. Of course, being inside the top 100 is another ball game all together but given the fact that most of us are on the roads throughout the year -- travelling to Europe and America due to lack of tournaments in India -- ekes a lot out of us.
“It’s not a level-playing field in terms of infrastructure at the moment but with familiar conditions on our side, brings us close to them,” said Riya, whose last two seasons have been hampered by golfer’s elbow.
Given the packed tennis calendar, the Billie Jean King Cup playoffs typically fall at the fag end of the year, after players have navigated the grind of Major events. By this stage, many, used to pursuing individual goals in the isolating world of professional tennis, are running on reserve tanks as they approach the off-season and begin preparing for the Australian Open. Riya, however, believes that representing India in a prestigious competition like the BJK Cup, often called the World Cup of tennis, provides renewed purpose.
“It’s true that we come here after grinding it out individually for 30-35 weeks at different locations in the world, seldom getting to meet each other. But this is World Cup of tennis, it’s big deal for us. There’s no ‘I’ here, only ‘we’. From being opponents for the rest of the year, we become friends.
“Individually in a match, you are figuring out things on your own but at BJK Cup the secret of success may lie from a team-mate pointing out a weakness of your opponent during a match,” explained Riya.