Pune: Shrivalli Bhamidipaty, currently 345 in the WTA singles ranking, who made sure India got off to the perfect start in their opening match at the Billie Jean King Cup Asia-Oceania Group 1, reflected on the performance in her debut match for India and said she was little emotional on court, but the feeling after the win was surreal.
The 23-year-old from Hyderabad got the better of New Zealand’s Aishi Das, securing a 6-1, 6-1 victory on the opening day of the tournament, which is organised by MSLTA in association with AITA and PMDTA, at the Mhalunge Balewadi Tennis Complex in Pune.
“It was really emotional playing my debut match for the country. I was a little emotional on court but then I think I handled myself well. The team and the captain helped me a lot in that by cheering, and the crowd also backed us for every point. I think that’s what helped me pull through the match today,” Shrivalli said.
“I was just trying to focus on every point that I play and just try to give my best in every point, while just thinking of the country,” she added.
Shrivalli also shed some light on the emotions running towards the end of her match. She said, “The feeling when I hugged my teammates after the win was surreal. All of us being individual players, we’ve come to play as a team and the amount that we’ve bonded in the past week has been really good and really exciting for all of us, and I’ve really loved the atmosphere here,” she stated.
Elaborating on her experience while representing her country, she also opened up about playing alongside her teammates in this tournament. “We’ve been doing a lot of crazy stuff off court, playing a lot of games and trying to understand each other. I think we’ve got a good blend of how everyone functions on the team, and we’ve been trying to be really chirpy, and I think that’s what helped us,” she mentioned.
With experienced players like Prarthana Thombare and Ankita Raina, as well as youngsters like Maaya Rajeshwaran, the Indian team has a healthy mix of youth and experience in their squad at the Billie Jean King Cup this year.
Speaking on the blend of players in the team, Shrivalli said, “The seniors have been really helpful to us. They have been giving us insights into how they have been playing for the country in the past few years. They’ve been telling us what we have to do. They’ve also been trying to keep us calm before the matches and that’s been really helpful. Also, Maya being on the team adds an extra boost to us.”
Shrivalli also reckoned that the conditions could play in Team India’s favour. “The courts have been in our favour because they’ve been slightly faster and bouncier. I think all of us love playing on courts like these. Also, with the conditions being really hot, think it helps us,” she concluded.
