India welcoming Tour 1 of Group 1 of Asia-Oceania of Billie Jean King Cup 2025 for the first time, the hosts will seek to capitalize on the conditions of the house to make a mark in the prestigious tournament. Organized by MSLTA in association with AITA at the Tennis stadium of the Balewadi sports complex in Pune, the Billie Jean King Cup is the equivalent of the Davis Cup of Men’s Tennis, the biggest team competition for the remote side of the game. The Indian team will come up against New Zealand, Chinese Taipei, Korea in the Republic, Thaida and Hong Kong China in the round format, the two best teams heading to the tournament for a place on the stage of the playoffs.
“Everyone is impatiently awaiting the tournament, and I think we are prepared. The team is right too, and we are waiting to start. I would simply tell them (the youngest) that you play for the country. Give the best. Give your best, enjoy every moment of the person.
The n ° 1 of India Ankita Raina will lead the charge alongside Sahaja Yamalapalli, Shrivalli Bhamidipaty, Vaidehi Chaudhari and the veteran in double Prarthana Thombare. Maaya Rajeshwaran, the 15 -year feeling, joined the team as a reserve player. Vishal Uppal will be the team captain, and Radhika Kanitkar Tulpule was appointed coach.
“We all understand how each of us works in the team, and we work accordingly. I think that has been the biggest point for us. And obviously, the elderly having been on tour for so long, they give us some good advice on when doing what. We are looking forward to a good competition, and I think we have a fairly strong team,” said Shrivalli Bhidipaty.
In addition to the members of the Indian team, all eyes would be on New Zealand Lulu Sun, the best classified singles player in the whole tournament.
Classified n ° 45 in the world in simple, Lulu Sun won seven singles and four double titles in the ITF circuit. In 2024, she also became the first woman in her country to reach the quarter -finals of Wimbledon.
Another notable player is the Double Wu Fang-Hsien player of Chinese Taipei. It is currently n ° 30 in the world in double and is in its best form, having won the consecutive double titles respectively at the Auckland Open and Hobart International. It has also reached the WTA 1000 Qatar open and the semi-final of the WTA 1000 Miami Open in 2025 so far.
India will envisage a barrage berth for the second time in the history of the tournament after having barely missed qualification in the last edition. The best race in India in the tournament occurred in 2020 when Sania Mirza, who left the team in 2016, made a remarkable return and helped India make damage to dam.
India put an end to the swimming pool stage in Asia-Oceania second with four wins on five games, but unfortunately, they then lost against Latvia 3-1 in their first dam match.
India will launch the tournament on the central field as they will face New Zealand on the day of opening. In courts 1 and court 2, the Republic plays against Chinese Taipei and Thailand respectively locks the horns against Hong Kong, China.
The Billie Jean King Cup 2025 will start with a large opening ceremony at 2:00 p.m. with captivating performance and special appearances.
“The Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association is delighted to have the opportunity to host the Group 1 Games of the Billie Jean King Cup Asia-Oceania in Pune,” Sound Iyer, tournament director and honorary secretary, MSLTA.
Pune will create history in the BKJC for the first time in the history of a century of the city. We, in Aita, will offer the BKJ Cup to make sure that our girls can play at home instead of traveling abroad. Weather, home food and public support should provide them with a home advantage, and they should get the most out of it, “he added.
“At Mslta, we have left no stone not returned for this tournament. The preparations are in place so that the players have a big tournament, and so that fans come to enjoy incredible tennis. The entrance is free for the tennis players of the city, the state and the country, and we hope to see the best players entertain one and everything,” he added.
The tournament is propelled by sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Ministry of Sports and Youth Welfare (Maharashtra). The matches will be posted on DD Sports.
Indian team for Billie Jean King Cup:
Players – Ankita Raina, Prarthana Thombare, Sahaja Yamalapalli, Shrivalli Bhamidipaty, Vaidehi Chaudhari, Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi (reserve)
Captain – Vishal Uppal
Coach – Radhika Kanitkar Tulpule
Physios -rutuja Kulkarni and Apurva Kulkarni.
(With the exception of the title, this story has not been published by NDTV staff and is published from a unionized flow.)
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