BENGALURU, Nov 16: India’s campaign in the Billie Jean King Cup play-offs ended in disappointment as the Netherlands handed the hosts a 3-0 defeat in their Group G fixture in Bengaluru on Sunday. The match saw the Dutch team dominate across singles and doubles at the SM Krishna Tennis Stadium.
In the first singles match, Shrivalli Bhamidipaty was defeated by Anouk Kovermans 6-2, 6-4. Despite her previous strong performance against Slovenia’s Tamara Zidansek, Shrivalli struggled against Kovermans’ powerful serves and sharp groundstrokes, conceding double breaks early in the first set and unable to recover in the second.
The second singles match saw Sahaja Yamalapalli face world No. 87 Suzan Lamens. Sahaja was overpowered by Lamens’ booming serve, fast court coverage, and precise groundshots, losing 6-2, 6-3. Despite a brief moment of recovery in the second set, Lamens maintained control and sealed the victory with a decisive down-the-line ace.
In the doubles, Ankita Raina and Prarthana Thombare were defeated by Lamens and Demi Schuurs 6-1, 6-1 in just 69 minutes, completing the clean sweep for the Netherlands. Both India and the Netherlands had earlier lost to Slovenia and will now return to their respective regional ties next year, while Slovenia has progressed to the 2026 Qualifiers.
Kovermans, after her victory, said, “I wanted to maintain an aggressive game from the beginning. This was my last game of the season and I am happy that it fetched me and the team the right result.” Sahaja added, “It was a tough match. Susan’s a very good player with a lot of experience. It was challenging, but it’s also a good experience because it shows me the level I want to get to and what I need to learn.”
