Slovenia beat India 2-1 to reach Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers

Bengaluru: India’s hopes of reaching next year’s Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers came crashing down on Saturday as much higher-ranked Slovenia wrapped up the Group G play-off 2-1 here.

After a fighting three-setter by Shrivalli Bhamidipatty went Slovenia’s way 6-3, 4-6, 6-1, the pressure fell on Sahaja Yamalapalli but the world No. 309 couldn’t stop Kaja Juvan (No. 98) from sealing the tie 6-4, 6-2.

Indian doubles pair of Ankita Raina and Prarthana Thombare gave the home crowd something to cheer about as they defeated Dalila Jakupovic and Nika Radisic 1-6, 6-3, 10/7 in super tie-breaker.

With that, Slovenia were through to the Qualifiers, making Sunday’s India-Netherlands match irrelevant.

To make matters trickier for India, the SM Krishna Stadium courts, already known for their high bounce, played perfectly into Slovenia’s hands. Both Zidansek and Juvan leaned heavily on topspin-loaded shots, often kicking the ball up above shoulder height, something that naturally troubled the Indian players. It was a tactical edge Slovenia squeezed to the maximum.

In the much-anticipated tie of the day, India’s No. 1 Sahaja had the crowd roaring from first ball and for a while, it looked like she could rattle Juvan. The opening set turned into a tight, serve-dominated battle at 2-2, with both players going after each other’s second serves. At 3-4, the Slovenian finally cracked open the first real chance, digging deep to earn a break point and converting amidst loud boos from the stands.

But Sahaja broke right back for 4-4, showing off her defensive grit from the baseline, getting everything back despite Juvan’s heavy kickers jumping awkwardly. But just when the set seemed poised for a tiebreak, Sahaja’s serve abandoned her.

A string of errors handed Juvan the chance to serve for the set, and she powered through with flat, deep returns to take it 6-4.

The second set began with promise but unravelled quickly. At 1-3, Sahaja gave away three quick points on serve, letting Juvan build a commanding lead. The Slovenian turned ruthless after that, breaking again for 4-1 and tightening her grip as Sahaja’s forehand timing dipped under the bouncing ball. The Indian star did fight in the sixth game, hitting a couple of standout winners, but Juvan’s experience showed as she held and eventually wrapped up the set 6-2.

Shrivalli fights hard

Earlier, Shrivalli took the court against 2021 French Open semifinalist Tamara Zidansek and had a rough start. The Slovenian came out swinging, breaking immediately and racing to a 4-0 lead as Shrivalli’s unforced errors piled up. The Indian finally held after a three-deuce game and suddenly flipped the script by breaking Zidansek next, helped by the crowd erupting at every point. But Zidansek steadied herself to take the set 6-3.

Shrivalli came alive in the second set, breaking Zidansek right away for 1-0 and then holding for 2-0 with some of her best serving of the day. The pace, depth and power clicked, and Zidansek briefly looked rattled as errors crept in. Shrivalli rode the momentum, earning another break that helped her clinch the set 6-4.

The decider, though, went flat for India. Zidansek broke early, used her heavy topspin to push Shrivalli off balance, and didn’t allow the Indian more than a single game. The 6-1 finish gave Slovenia a 1-0 lead and the perfect launchpad for Juvan to close the deal.

Result: India lt to Slovenia 1-2 (Shrivalli Bhamidipatty lt to Tamara Zidansek 3-6, 6-4, 1-6; Sahaja Yamalapalli lt to Kaja Juvan 4-6, 2-6; Ankita Raina/Prarthana Thombare bt Dalila Jakupovic/Nika Radisic 1-6, 6-3, 10/7).

Result: India lt to Slovenia 1-2 (Shrivalli Bhamidipatty lt to Tamara Zidansek 3-6, 6-4, 1-6; Sahaja Yamalapalli lt to Kaja Juvan 4-6, 1-6; Ankita Raina/Prarthana Thombare bt Dalila Jakupovic/Nika Radisic 1-6, 6-3, 10/7).