Billie Jean King cup,

India made a big leap in the 2020/21 Billie Jean King Cup as they advanced to the play-off round for the first time. Latvia put an end to the dream series led by Grand Slam champion Jelena Ostapenko and top-50 player Anastasija Sevastova.

India now has another opportunity to break new ground as the latest edition of the Billie Jean King Cup play-offs begins here on Friday at the SM Krishna Tennis Stadium.

The Indians – likely represented in singles by Sahaja Yamalapalli (world No. 309) and Shrivalli Bhamidipaty (world No. 381) – have a mountain to climb if they want to top the group and progress to the next stage.

Two powerful rivals, Slovenia and the Netherlands, stand in the way. Slovenia will be banking on 2021 French Open semi-finalist Tamara Zidansek and Kaja Juvan (world No. 98), while the Netherlands will look to Suzan Lamens (world No. 87) and the experienced Arantxa Rus (a former top-50 player) to get the job done.

However, the Indians have had some big scalps lately. Just last month, Sahaja upset 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens in straight sets at the WTA 125K Abierto Tampico in Mexico. Shrivalli, meanwhile, consistently defeated higher-ranked opponents en route to five straight victories in the previous round of the Billie Jean King Cup.

Ankita Raina, who is likely to play the dual role alongside Prarthana Thombare, is not one to back down from a fight.

“My best results came when I played for the country. It’s a completely different feeling. Everyone is equal on the field,” Ankita said here on Thursday.

Team captain Vishal Uppal appealed to the fans to provide some cheer.

“We need the Bangladeshi crowd to support us and maybe put themselves in the shoes of the opponents. That makes team competitions fun. I experienced this when I played in the Davis Cup,” Uppal said.

The Netherlands will take on Slovenia on Friday, while India will be in action this weekend.