Indians blow away Singapore
Indians won all their three matches — two singles and doubles — without dropping a set or breaking sweat.
In the first singles, India’s No 2 singles player Poojashree Venkatesha outplayed Singapore’s Si Ying Julienne Keong 6-1, 6-1 and when Sania Mirza breezed past Li Yun Tan 6-2, 6-3, India had taken an unassailable 2-0 lead.
Sanaa Bhambri and Rushmi Chakravarthi completed the formalities, winning the doubles, 6-0, 6-2 over Clare Fong and Tan.
India coach Enrico Piperno said the team’s real test is in their next match against hosts Malaysia.
“Today’s result was expected. Sania really looked in good touch and I am glad she had a good outing ahead of our tie against Malaysia. It was a good warm up for Sania. As for Poojashree, it was easy,” Piperno said from Kuala Lumpur.
The 32-year-old Chin Bee took to coaching besides playing in local competitions since quitting the national team a few years ago. Her return has beefed up the Malaysian team and national coach S Selvarajoo hoped her experience would add depth to the team.
Chin, whose highest international ranking was 360, played a key role in Malaysia’s 2-1 win over Singapore on Wednesday.
Chin, as second singles player, put the hosts up 1-0 with a straight sets win over Keong in the opening rubber, but Malaysian No 1 player Jawairiah Noordin’s loss to Tan in the second rubber levelled the tie 1-1.
Chin and Noordin then combined to win the doubles to clinch the tie. The winners of the two pools will meet in the playoff for a place in the Asia-Oceania zone Group I.
Meanwhile, India’s Somdev Devvarman defeated Brazil’z Thiago Alves 6-4, 6-1 to move into the third round of the Johannesburg Open.