With a tight professional travel schedule and a variety of training destinations and tournaments, it’s not uncommon for two of India’s best professional tennis players to decide to meet and practice leading a national mission. But when Sanja Mirza invited Raini to stay and play in Dubai for a week before joining the rest of the Latvian team to face home from Billie Jean King in the World Cup qualifiers on Friday (for the first time in the world), the latter was too happy to impose on duty. I take the opportunity with both hands, Raina said.
Raina was already in Dubai competing in the ITF championship in the last week of March, while Mirza was forced to withdraw before the Miami Open championship last month after her partner Kim Klijster was injured. “It was really nice that you invited me to stay and train with her,” Raina said over the phone from Latvia. “It was cool because I’ve been away from home for a long time, and she knows it better than everyone else!”
Over the past week, the country’s leading professionals have improved their doubles, with the exception of six-time Grand Slam champion Mirza, who passed on his vast experience and experience at the highest level of tennis to 28-year-old Raina, who debuted at the Slam Doubles Championships. Raina said: “Not only did my husband work on tactics and positioning on the field, but Sanya also helped me with singles, because we trained a lot.”
“It was really nice that we had a certain harmony,” said Mirza from Latvia. “I am always there to help the little girls. Ankita is a very disciplined and hardworking girl. And it was nice to be able to dismiss the square as well. ”
Chatting, making dance videos and spending time with Mirza’s son Ezhan. “Talking to him outside the court really gave me an insight into the world of tennis from a different perspective. One of the things I chose is that she is very comfortable and doesn’t stress too much, ”said Raina.
This attitude was reflected in Mirza’s words during a team meeting in Latvia with an inexperienced Indian team led by Vishal Opal, which also includes 22-year-old Karman Kaurs Thandi, 25-year-old Rutuja Bosala and 22-year-old Zela Desai. .
Literally the only thing I told them was to enjoy the moment. Don’t go into many details. Understand that the pressure is not on us, it is on them. Mirza said. Meet these big players. “
The Latvian team has two of them among the best 60 singles teams in the world: Anastasia Sevastova (47th in the world) and 2017 French Open champion Elena Ostapenko (52). India’s first singles single, 174, will start a clash against Ostapenko on Friday, overtaking Sevastov with 621 Karman Kaur Tandy, who returned to tennis earlier this year after more than a year of injury. Both will exchange opponents in reverse singles on Saturday. The last doubles match for India may be relatively easier, with the duo facing Mirza-Raina Diana Marcinkiewica (326th in the world doubles) and Daniela Weissmann (709). The owners of the court chose to play in the indoor hard courts of Lyloopi Jurmala National Tennis Center.
After finishing second in the Asia / Oceania Group A game in Dubai last March, India reached the historic qualifier for the World Cup qualifier in the World Group (formerly known as the Fed Cup). They meet the Latvian team, which in the last year’s qualification before the loss gave the best number in the USA with Serena Williams and Sofia Kenina with 2: 3. Latvia ranks 13th in the current team rating; India ranks 56th.
Just like in the Asia / Oceania group tournament, where she played three of the five matches in both singles and doubles, this time too, Raina will have to take on the biggest load, playing three matches in two days. “I got the best results playing for the Indian national team. Even in previous groups, I played two games a week. ” Reina said after Thursday’s draw ceremony, so I’m well prepared for this challenge.
BJK Cup:
Day 1: 20:30 IST – April 16
Day 2: 16:30 IST – April 17
Live on Eurosport and Eurosport HD
–
