Billie Jean King Cup: India vs Thailand tie in Delhi paused by rain after Adkar defeat

New Delhi, Apr 7: Host India's opening Asia/Oceania Group I tie in the Billie Jean King Cup against Thailand stayed unresolved on Tuesday on April 7.

Debutant Vaishnavi Adkar lost in straight sets to Aunchisa Chanta. Persistent rain later stopped the second singles match. Sahaja Yamlapalli and Patcharin Cheapchandej were still playing when the stoppage arrived.

The tie was paused with Sahaja Yamlapalli behind 4-6, 6-1, 3-4 against world No. 449 Patcharin Cheapchandej. Rain forced organisers to halt play, leaving the result open. The match will resume at 11am on Wednesday. India's next fixture against New Zealand is scheduled for 3pm.

Billie Jean King Cup tie: Sahaja Yamlapalli match halted by rain

Sahaja, ranked 384, hit cleanly in long rallies but offered limited change of pace. Patcharin used that to control

key points. Patcharin often targeted Sahaja's backhand, including on serve returns. In pressure moments, Patcharin stayed steadier. Sahaja leaked errors at key times, which proved costly in the opener.

At 4-5 in the first set, Sahaja served to extend the set but slipped. A run of mistakes handed Patcharin the set at 6-4. Sahaja reacted well in the next set and broke early. Sahaja then moved ahead 5-1. A crisp backhand volley closed the set 6-1 and levelled the match.

The deciding set became a baseline-heavy contest with few short points. Sahaja was broken early and then missed three break-back chances at 0-40 in the sixth game. Sahaja later drew level at 3-3 with successive backhand winners. Soon after, Sahaja dropped serve again. Rain then stopped play.

Billie Jean King Cup tie: Vaishnavi Adkar loses to Aunchisa Chanta

Earlier, Vaishnavi Adkar suffered a 1-6, 3-6 defeat to Aunchisa Chanta at the DLTA Centre Court. Vaishnavi was ranked 383, which was 73 places higher than Aunchisa. The match lasted one hour and 13 minutes. It began after more than three hours of delay due to drizzle and cool conditions.

Vaishnavi started poorly and dropped serve in the opening game after several errors. The third game became a long struggle, with three break points saved. It ran beyond seven deuces but ended with a down-the-line backhand winner. That left Vaishnavi trailing 0-3 and under steady pressure.

Aunchisa, a left-hander with a double-handed forehand and a strong backhand, controlled baseline exchanges. Aunchisa surged to a 4-0 lead. Vaishnavi held once in the fifth game, but the balance stayed with the Thai player. Vaishnavi soon faced two set points. The first set ended in 23 minutes.

Vaishnavi opened the second set with an early break and briefly lifted India's hopes. The lead vanished in the next game after another loose service effort. Errors continued, including a love hold conceded in the fourth game. Double faults increased, and many groundstrokes went long. Aunchisa built control over the match.

Vaishnavi kept the score close by breaking in the seventh game to reach 3-4. Aunchisa then saved two break points while serving for the match. The contest ended when Vaishnavi netted a backhand. With rain also affecting the second singles, India's tie against Thailand remained uncertain heading into Wednesday (April 8).