India began their Billie Jean King Cup Asia-Oceania Group 1 campaign on a bittersweet note, falling to New Zealand 1-2 in their opening tie at the Mhalunge Balewadi Tennis Complex in Pune. Despite an inspiring performance by Shrivalli Bhamidipaty, the Indian team couldn't hold off the Kiwis, who mounted a strong comeback to clinch the tie.

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Shrivalli Bhamidipaty kicked off India’s challenge in style, facing Aishi Das in the first singles match. The rising Indian star was dominant from the first serve, producing a commanding display marked by six aces and clinical break-point conversions. Shrivalli breezed through the match 6-1, 6-1 in under an hour, giving India an early 1-0 advantage.

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However, the momentum shifted in the second singles clash where Sahaja Yamalapalli faced New Zealand’s experienced campaigner Lulu Sun. Sahaja battled hard but was outplayed by Sun, who used her experience and court craft effectively. The Kiwi prevailed 6-3, 6-3 in a match lasting 73 minutes, leveling the tie at 1-1.

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Ankita-Prarthana outplayed

The deciding doubles match saw India’s seasoned pair of Ankita Raina and Prarthana Thombare take on Lulu Sun and Monique Barry. Despite a spirited effort under the Pune floodlights, the Indian duo struggled to find rhythm and were outplayed by the consistent Kiwi pair. New Zealand sealed the match—and the tie—with a 6-3, 6-4 win in an hour and 23 minutes.

The tournament was officially inaugurated earlier in the day by former Fed Cup player Radhika Tulpule-Kanitkar, alongside several stalwarts of Indian tennis including Sohini Kumari, Saujanya Bavishetty, Pranjala Yadlapalli, Sai Jayalakshmi, and Aarti Ponappa Natekar. Maharashtra’s international tennis icons Bela Phadke, Radhika Mandke, and Sheetal Kannamwar Iyer also graced the occasion.

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As part of the ceremony, players like Rutuja Bhosale, Radhika Godbole, Vaishnavi Adkar, and others were felicitated for their contributions to Indian tennis. The awards were presented by MSLTA Chairman Bharat Oza and other dignitaries including Tournament Director Sunder Iyer, Treasurer Sudhir Bhivapurkar, and CEO Manoj Vaidya.

India will look to bounce back when they face Thailand in their second tie on Wednesday, April 9.